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8 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

GO.SEE.DO.
Lamb Jam

Twenty of DC’s top chefs will ewe-night for the third annual American Lamb Jam produced by the American Lamb
Board. This ultimate taste-off will feature top chefs and
their creative preparations of lusty lamb dishes accompanied by several wineries, breweries and more. Judging
will include awards for Best of Show, 1st Place Awards
for Shoulder, Leg of Lamb, Shank and Loin tastes. Guests
vote and determine the People’s Choice winner. This year’s
chefs are from Bibiana, Occidental, ici, Mad Fox Brewing
Company, Cava, Bistro 525, Bourbon Steak, Cedar, Art and
Soul, ripple, Del Campo. 1789 Restaurant, kitchen bar, The
Grille, Virtue Feed & Grain, The Atlas Room, Blue Duck Tavern, Zaytinya, The Roosevelt and Pizzeria Orso. People’s
Choice Award for 2012 went to Bourbon Steak at Four Seasons, Chef Adam Sobel for “Sausage and Peppers” Lamb Sausage, Piperade, Fried Onions
and Basil. $60 ($75 for 5-6 p.m. specialty cocktails, American lamb charcuterie and sheep
cheeses). Must be 21. A portion of the proceeds benefit DC Central Kitchen. Monday, May
20, 6:00-9:00 p.m. at Eastern Market North Hall. dc.fansoflamb.com

On May 18 at 7 p.m., more than 100 singers,
actors, and dancers will fill the Kennedy Center
Opera House stage to tell the tale of a troupe
of riverboat performers as they make their way
through the decades, and a 50-piece orchestra
will play Show Boat’s legendary score, which mixes the best traditions of opera, musical theater,
jazz, gospel, and vaudeville. Join thousands at
Nat’s Park for a simulcast of this beloved musical. Free seating will be available on the outfield
grass and in the stands. The gate opens at 5 p.m.
kennedy-center.org
Washington National Opera’s Show Boat. Photo: Robert
Kusel for Lyric Opera of Chicago

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The Washington Ballet Presents
Peter and the Wolf

Against his grandfather’s wishes, brave Peter sets out to capture a wolf.
Along the way he encounters some animal friends and becomes the hero
of his village. Based on a popular Russian children’s story and set to Prokofiev’s world-famous score, this captivating ballet performed by The
Washington Ballet Studio Company will delight audiences of all ages. At
THEARC for four performances, Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19 at
1 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. $35-$50. THEARC Theater, 1901 Mississippi Ave. SE.
202-889-5901. thearcdc.org.

Photo: Steve Vaccariello

National Memorial Day Concert

On the eve of Memorial Day, the 24th annual Memorial Day
Concert featuring the National Symphony Orchestra will bring
to life the moving stories of America’s servicemen and women
who have given so much to preserve America’s freedoms. This
inspiring event will pay tribute to the profound heroism of all
who served during World War II, salute the valor of our Korean
War veterans, and honor the sacrifices of our National Guard
heroes and their families. The concert, which airs live on PBS,
takes place on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The grounds
will open at 5 p.m. and the concert is at 8 p.m. Feel free to
bring a picnic and blanket. It will be crowded and you may get
your alcohol confiscated at the security check. Otherwise it’s
a great way to celebrate Memorial Day in DC.

Maestro Jack Everly conducts the National Symphony
Orchestra at the National Memorial Day Concert broadcast live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol
on Sunday, May 26th at 8 p.m. Photo: Capital Concerts

Truckeroo

Truckeroo is a monthly festival held at the corner of Half St.
and M St., SE (across from the Navy Yard Metro Station on
the Green line) showcasing food trucks from the Washington,
DC area. It features 20 food trucks, picnic tables, games, cold
drinks, plenty of shade and live music all day, 11 a.m. to 11
p.m. Expect cheese steaks, cupcakes, empanadas, barbecue,
crab, lobster, cookies, pho and more. The 2013 dates are May
17, June 14, Aug 16 and Sept 6. Admission to the festival is
free. truckeroodc.com

Photo: Courtesy of Truckeroo.
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 11

PATRIOTIC AND MEMORIAL DAY
WEEKEND EVENTS

CALENDAR

2013 Twilight Tattoo at Fort Myer. Wednesdays, through Aug 28, 7:00 PM with pre-ceremony pageantry starting at 6:45 PM. Members of the 3rd US Infantry (The Old Guard),
the US Army Band “Pershings Own,” Fife and
Drum Corps and the US Army Drill Team will
perform an hour-long sunset military Pageant.
Over 100 Old Guard soldiers dressed in period
uniforms will provide a glimpse of Army history from colonial times to the soldier of the
future. Summerall Field on historic Fort Myer
in Arlington, VA. usarmyband.com

Rhythm in NoMa Concerts. May 30, June 27,
July 25, Aug 29, Sept 26; 6:00-8:00 PM. Connect with business partners, family or friends
while listening to a variety of popular musical
styles, from Motown to funk to quiet jazz ensembles. location TBA. nomabid.org

National Memorial Day Concert. May 26,
8:00-9:30 PM (gates open at 5:00 PM). The
National Symphony Orchestra performs the first
of three outdoor holiday concerts. The concert
is free and is broadcast live on PBS. Memorial
Day is a day to remember the sacrifices made by
so many … and a day for healing. On the eve
of Memorial Day, come out and enjoy the National Memorial Day Concert, a deeply moving
and reverential tribute to the men and women
who have given so much to preserve America’s
freedoms. Free. West lawn, US Capitol.
Marine Barracks Evening Parade. Friday evenings through Aug 30. Guests admitted starting at 7:00 PM. Guests should be seated by
8:00 PM. Program begins at 8:45 PM. The Evening Parade has become a universal symbol of
the professionalism, discipline and Esprit de
Corps of the United States Marines. The ceremony begins with a concert by the United
States Marine Band. Free. It is wise to have
reservations that can be made online at mbw.
usmc.mil. Marine Barracks (front gate), Eighth
and I sts. SE. 202-433-4073. mbw.usmc.mil
“Flags-In” at Arlington Cemetery. Memorial
Day Weekend, 8:00 AM-7:00 PM. Each year for
the past 40 years, the 3rd Infantry (The Old
Guard) has honored America’s fallen heroes
by placing American flags before the gravestones and niches of service members buried
both at Arlington National Cemetery and the
U.S. Soldier’s and Airmen’s National Cemetery
just prior to Memorial Day Weekend. Arlington
National Cemetery (Virginia end of Memorial
Bridge). 703-607-8000. arlingtoncemetery.org
Memorial Day Wreath Laying at Arlington.
May 27, 11:00 AM. Arrive much earlier. Expect
heavy security. Arlington National Cemetery
(Virginia end of Memorial Bridge). 703-6078000. arlingtoncemetery.org
Memorial Day at the World War II Memorial.
May 27, 9:00 AM. Wreaths will be placed in
honor of our veterans. Guest speakers will give
remarks. World War II Memorial, 17th St. between Constitution and Independence aves. NW.
Rolling Thunder Ride for Freedom. May 27,

12 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

Jazz in the Sculpture Garden. Fridays May
24-Aug 30 (rain or shine), 5:00-8:00 PM. National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden. Live
jazz performed by an eclectic mix of top artists from the Washington area entertains visitors outdoors in front of the fountain or in
the Pavilion Cafe (if it’s raining). The Pavilion
Cafe features a seasonal tapas-style menu and
bar service during the concerts. Everyone can
enjoy these concerts. You do not have to order
food or drinks. Free. 202- 289-3360. nga.gov

Air Force Band Concerts. Fridays in June,
July and Aug. 8:00 PM. Air Force Memorial
at One Air Force Memorial Drive in Arlington,
VA. (14th St. Bridge into Virginia, merge onto
Washington Blvd. and then Columbia Pike in
the direction of the Navy Annex. Then follow
signs.) Expect a pleasing mix of contemporary
and patriotic tunes and spectacular views of
the nighttime Washington, DC skyline. Free.
airforcememorial.org
Unsung Jazz by Antoine Sanfuentes at Vivid Solutions. Through June 28. Unsung Jazz
by Antoine Sanfuentes brings together the photographer’s ongoing project of documenting the local jazz performers who have had a substantial impact on jazz in Washington,
DC but are relatively unknown outside the area. The Gallery at Vivid Solutions, now
located upstairs at 1241 Good Hope Rd. SE above Honfleur Gallery. 202-365-8392. vividsolutionsgallery.com

noon. “Rolling Thunder” is an annual motorcycle rally held in Washington, DC during the
Memorial Day weekend. Thousands of motorcycles will depart from the Pentagon at noon
and will roar across Washington, DC on their
motorcycles as a tribute to American war heroes. Assemble at Pentagon north parking lot.
Memorial Day at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. May 27, 1:00 PM. This year’s Memorial Day observance pays tribute to those who
served and died in Vietnam. The ceremony will
include Presentation of the Colors, and remarks by a special guest. The observance also
includes a laying of wreaths by several patriotic organizations. Each year on Memorial Day
veterans and their families congregate at “The
Wall” to remember and to honor those who
served in the US Armed Forces. On this special
day prominent Americans from all walks of life
come to the Memorial to deliver thoughtful
and patriotic speeches.
National Memorial Day Parade. May 27, 2:00
PM. Beginning at Fourth St. and Pennsylvania
Ave. NW and ending at 15th St. and Constitu-

Yards Park Marine Band Thursday Night
Concerts (before the movie). 7:30 PM. June
6-Aug 29 (not Independence Day). Yards Park
is in the Capitol Riverfront at 355 Water Street
SE, three blocks from Nationals Ballpark. Take
the Green Line to Navy Yard (New Jersey Avenue exit). yardspark.org
Navy Band “Concerts on the Avenue.” Tuesdays starting June 11, 7:30 PM (new time). US
Navy Memorial. The United States Navy Band
and its specialty groups will perform. Free.
Seventh and Penn. Ave. NW. 202-737-2300.
navymemorial.org
Live American Roots Music. Friday and Saturday nights in summer. The National Building Museum has partnered with Hill Country
Barbecue Market to present Hill Country’s
Backyard Barbecue, a unique branded outdoor
experience featuring Hill Country’s awardwinning Texas-style barbecue, ice-cold Shiner
beers, and signature cocktails on the Museum’s spacious and picturesque West Lawn.
Throughout the summer, the space features
live American roots music on Friday and Saturday nights, presented by Hill Country Live,
Hill Country’s Austin-inspired music program.
National Buildiong Museum, 401 F St. NW.
202-272-2448. nbm.org

teen poster-sized street signs combine storytelling with historic photographs and maps to
transport you back to the days before Deanwood was Deanwood. To pick up the trail go
to Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave. and Division
Ave. NE. Walk one block south to Foote Street,
at the edge of Marvin Gaye Park. The 90-minute, self-guided tour will bring you along Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, up 49th St. and
along Sheriff Rd. back to Minnesota Ave. and
the Metro station. Walk the trail at your own
pace and take time to enjoy this small town
in the city. Don’t forget to pick up a free trail
guide from businesses along the way. 202661-7581. culturaltourismdc.org

charities to schools to the Lions Foundation.
This community flea market is sponsored by
Palisades-Georgetown Lions Club. Rent table
space for $35-set up at 7-9 a.m. and remove
items promptly at end. Contact Mary at 202363-6122 for more information.

Tour the Frederick Douglass House. Tours are
at 9:00 AM, 12:15 PM, 1:15 PM, 3:00 PM and
3:30 PM. Ranger led tours are the only way
to see the inside of the Frederick Douglass
house. Tours are ticketed, and there are a limited number of tickets available for each tour.
Tour tickets are available by reservation or on
a first-come, first-served walk-in basis. Visitors are strongly encouraged to make a reservation to guarantee their place on the tour.
Tours last approximately 30 minutes. 1411 W
St. SE. 202-426-5960. nps.gov/frdo

Rainbow Mambo: The Gay and Lesbian Presence in Latin Music. May 18, 2:00-4:00 PM.
Although seldom discussed, gays and lesbians
have always been a presence in Latin music:
on stage, behind the scenes, and in song. Join
Jim Byers (host of WPFW 89.3 FM’s Latin Flavor) for a discussion ranging from such pioneers as Johnny Rodriguez and Chavela Vargas
to Ricky Martin and Albita. Free, but space is
limited. For information, call 202-633-4866.
Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl.
SE. anacostia.si.edu

1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-365-8392. honfleurgallery.com

MARKETS AND SALES

Ranger tours of the Civil War Defenses of
Washington. Every Saturday through Sept 7,
10:00 AM-noon. Join a Ranger for tours of the
Civil War Defenses of Washington. They will
lead visitors to some of the remaining Civil War
forts in the Nation’s Capital. Visitors are asked
to contact Ranger Kenya Finely at 202-4267723 for more information on the specific program themes. Fort Dupont Park. nps.gov/fodu

A Short Introduction to Muhammad. May 23,
7:00 PM. Join them for a lecture by professor Jonathan Brown of Georgetown University.
He will be discussing his book Muhammad: A
Very Short Introduction. The Bridging Cultures
Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys is a project of the
National Endowment for the Humanities, conducted in cooperation with the American Library Association. Dorothy I. Height/Benning
Neighborhood Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE.
202-281-2583. dclibrary.org/benning

Reclaiming the Edge: Urban Waterways and
Civic Engagement. Through Sept 15. Based
on research by the Anacostia Community
Museum on the history, public use, and attitudes toward the Anacostia River and its
watershed and on review of urban waterway
developments in Los Angeles, Pittsburgh,
Louisville, London, and Shanghai, Reclaiming the Edge explores various issues regarding human interaction with natural resources
in an urban setting. It looks at densely populated watersheds and at rivers as barriers
to racial and ethnic integration. The exhibition also examines civic attempts to recover,
clean up, re-imagine, or engineer urban rivers for community access and use. 1901 Fort
Pl. SE. 202-633-4820. anacostia.si.edu

New Grant Avenue (flea) Market in Takoma
Park. May 12, June 9 and July 14, 10:00 AM3:00 PM. The new market is at the intersection of Grant Ave. and Carroll Ave. in Takoma
Park, MD with antiques, collectibles and funky
finds. Over 25 vendors plus popular DC store
anchor vendors: FOUNDRY, Parisian Flea Market from U Street, NW and Ruff & Ready Furnishings from 14th St. NW. Market goers can
expect to find the same winning format as the
Fenton Street Market-vendor booths, music
and food trucks-adding yet another activity to
the busy Sunday line-up in Old Takoma which
already offers the popular Takoma Park Farmers Market. Families will enjoy the day with a
host of children’s activities including a bicycle
carousel made from re-purposed bikes and a
giant trike-both thanks to sculptor Howard
Connelly. grantavenuemarket.com

Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story
(film). May 23, 11:00 AM. (2010, 57 min,
directed by Larkin McPhee) This film traces
the development of America’s bountiful heartland and its effect on the legendary river. It
helps viewers grasp what is a profound truththat a single drop of water in Minnesota is
connected to the “dead zone” in the Gulf of
Mexico-and offers concrete solutions and fresh
ideas to the river’s troubles. A discussion follows with Linda Maxwell, education specialist
at the Anacostia Community Museum. Free;
for reservations, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia
Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu
River Art Mural with Prelli Williams. May 25,
11:00 AM-1:00 PM. Join local artist Prelli Williams who leads a river art project based on
the related exhibition. Free. For reservations,
call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu
Jazz Performance at Honfleur Gallery. June
6, 7:00-9:00 PM. Twins Jazz. Honfleur Gallery,

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Tour Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens.
Open daily, 7:00 AM-4:00 PM. Kenilworth
Park and Aquatic Gardens is about 700 acres
and is part of Anacostia Park. The park includes the gardens, Kenilworth Marsh, ball
fields and recreational facilities. It is the
only National Park Service site devoted to the
propagation and display of aquatic plants.
Stop by the visitors center and ask if a ranger
is free to show you around. You can also borrow a guidebook and binoculars if you leave a
driver’s license. Free.1550 Anacostia Ave. NE.
202-426-6905. www.nps.gov/kepa
A Self-Reliant People: Greater Deanwood
Heritage Trail. Discover, or see with new eyes,
this traditionally African American enclave in
Far Northeast when you follow “A Self-Reliant
People: Greater Deanwood Heritage Trail.” Fif-

NLPNA Yard Sale. May 18, 9:00 AM-2:00 PM.
The North Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association yard sale is in the triangle park between
the 1300 blocks of North Carolina Ave. and A
St. NE (between 13th and 14th streets). This
annual event is our primary source of funding
for community building activities including
tree plantings and Buzz distribution Donations may be dropped off from 8:00-10:00 AM
on the day of the sale. For more information
or to volunteer, call 202-543-3512 or e-mail
elizabeth_knits@yahoo.com, with “yard sale”
as the subject.
Friends of Capitol View Library Book Sale
and Flea Market. May 18 amd May 25, 10:00
AM-3:00 PM. Find new and used books for sale
on the sidewalk and inside. Capitol View Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE.
Lions Flea Market in Palisades. May 19
(rain or shine), 10:00 am-4:00 pm in the
Wells Fargo Bank parking lot at MacArthur
Blvd. and Arizona Ave. NW. The PalisadesGeorgetown Lions Club raises funds from this
event and others such as the Christmas Tree
sale to support organizations ranging from

SPORTS, DANCE AND
PHYSICAL FITNESS
DC Public Outdoor Pools Open Memorial Day
Weekend. They will then be open weekends
only until school is out. After school is out
they will be open daily. Each pool has one
closed day per week for routine maintenance
and cleaning. dpr.dc.gov
Nats Baseball. May 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27 and
28. Nationals Park. 202-675-6287. washington.
nationals.mlb.com
National’s Ballpark Tours. Wednesday-Sunday (non-game days), 10:30 AM and 1:30 PM.
On day of night-time home games, tours at
10:30 AM. Take the Nationals Park Ballpark
Tour for a behind-the-scenes look at Nationals
Park. Over the course of an hour and fifteen
minutes you will visit the PNC Diamond Club,
the Lexus Presidents Club, the Stars & Stripes
Club, luxury suites, the Shirley Povich Media
Center, Nationals dugout and Nationals clubhouse. Throw a pitch in the Nationals bullpen.
$12-$15. All proceeds from Nationals Park
Tours will be donated to the Nationals Dream
Foundation. washington.nationals.mlb.com
Separate and Unequaled: Black Baseball in
the District of Columbia. On view indefinitely. From Reconstruction to the second half of
the 20th century, baseball, the great American
pastime, was played in Washington, DC, on
segregated fields. “Separate and Unequaled”

DCRA’s Small Business Resource Center (SBRC)
Celebrates Small Business Week
2013 Small Business Restaurant Symposium and Expo
“Capitalizing on the Thriving Restaurant Industry in the District of Columbia”
(FREE OF CHARGE)
When:

D. C. Government Regulatory Processes
How to Open a Restaurant (In Spanish)
Financial Management
The New Frontier in the Restaurant Industry, Catering and Pop-Up Restaurants
How to get Financing to Open a Restaurant
Processes of Entering a Building Lease Agreement

How to Open a Small Business by Navigating
through DCRA’s Regulatory Process
When: June 19, 2013
Where: Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)
1100 4th Street, SW, Suite 200; Washington DC, 20024
Time:

CALENDAR
looks at the phenomenal popularity and community draw of this sport when played by African Americans. Featured are such personalities as Josh Gibson and “Buck” Leonard, star
players of the Negro Leagues most celebrated
team, the Washington Homestead Grays.
The show also highlights community teams
that gave rise to the various amateur, collegiate and semi-pro black baseball teams and
leagues. For special viewing hours and tours,
call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu
Washington Mystics Basketball. May 15,
11:30 AM (preseason). Verizon Center, 601 F
St. NW. wnba.com/mystics
Semper Fi 5K. May 18, 8:00 AM. All proceeds
will benefit the Semper Fi Fund, a 501(c)(3)
non-profit organization that provides crucial
medical and financial assistance to US servicemen and women wounded in Afghanistan and
Iraq, as well as to their families. Race held at
Anacostia Park. semperfi5k.com
DC Rollergirls. May 18, 4:00 PM. (Doors open
at 3:00 p.m.) Tickets are $12 for ages 12 and
up, $6 for children 6-11, and free for kids 5
and under. Tickets are available in advance at
ticketmaster.com or at the door on bout day.
Individuals with a valid military ID can purchase tickets for $10 at the door. Bouts are at
DC Armory. dcrollergirls.com
DC United Soccer Home Matches. May 19, vs.
Sporting KC; May 25 vs. Pportland. $23-$52.
RFK Stadium. 202-587-5000. dcunited.com
Capitol Hill Classic 10K, 3K and Kids’ Fun
Run. May 19, 8:30 AM. The event includes a
10K, a 3K, and a kids’ fun run, all of which
start and finish in front of Peabody Primary
School on Stanton Park. The 10K course goes
out around RFK Stadium and back, while the
3K goes to Lincoln Park and the fun run is a
lap around Stanton Park for kids of all ages. All
proceeds from the Classic go to the Capitol Hill
Cluster School. For more information, register,
or volunteer to, visit capitolhillclassic com.
Fort Dupont Ice Arena. Closed for annual maintenance. Will reopen July 1. Fort Dupont Ice
Arena, 3779 Ely Pl. NE. 202-584-5007. fdia.org
Roller Skating at Anacostia Park. Skate
weekends, sunrise to sunset. This is a covered, outdoor skating pavilion. Free. One-hour
free skate “rental” has started but sizes and
supplies are limited. During summer months,
open daily. Go east on Penn. Ave. across Anacostia River and make the first right turn onto
Fairlawn Ave. and another right onto Nicholson and then into the park. 202-472-3873.
Adult Dance Classes. Tuesdays, 7:00-8:30
PM, Pilates; Wednesdays, 7:00-8:15 PM, Jazz;
Saturdays, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zumba. The Washington Ballet @ THEARC offers three adult
classes this year. Classes are $12 each or you
may purchase a $100 class card for 12 classes.
Classes are only $5 for Ward 8 residents. The
class card for Ward 8 residents is $50. (Valid
ID required.) THEARC, 1901 Mississippi Ave.
SE. 202-889-5901. thearcdc.org
Free Exercise Classes at Kenilworth Elementary School. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday, 6:00-7:00 PM. Bring your own mat,

16 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

water and towel. 1300 44th St. NE. For more
information, email peppypromotions@gmail.
com or call 301-395-1013
Tidal Basin 3K Monthly Run. Third Wednesday of each month, noon. This run is free and
informal. West Potomac Park (meet on Ohio Dr.
at West Basin Dr., near the Tourmobile stand).
703-505-3567. dcroadrunners.org
Free Yoga Classes at Anacostia Neighborhood Library. Every Thursday, 7:00-8:00 PM.
Yoga is a great way to relax, unwind and get
grounded. Even if you’ve never done yoga
before--this class is for you. Open to people
of all abilities, ages and body types. All you
need to bring is yourself, comfortable clothing and an open mind. Judgment free zone:
having a great time is encouraged! Register in
person at Anacostia Neighborhood Library or
call 202-715-7707. 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.
dclibrary.org/anacostia
Southeast Tennis and Learning Center. Open
daily; Monday through Saturday, 9:00 AM-9:00
PM; Sunday, 9:00 AM-6:00 PM. Four indoor
courts. Six outdoor courts. Summer hourly
fees at $6 to $10 for adults. Kids 17 and under
play for free. 701 Mississippi Ave. SE. 202645-6242. dpr.dc.gov
Free public tennis courts in Wards 7 and 8.
Fort Davis Community Center, 1400 41st St.
SE; Hillcrest Recreation Center, 3100 Denver
St. SE; Kenilworth-Parkside Recreation Center,
4300 Anacostia Ave. NE; Randle Highlands
Tennis Courts, 31st St. and Pennsylvania
Ave. SE; Anacostia Park, 1900 Anacostia Dr.
SE; Bald Eagle Recreation Center, Martin Luther King, Jr Ave. and Joliet St. SW; Congress
Heights Recreation Center, Alabama Ave. and
Randle Pl.SE; Fort Stanton Community Center,
1812 Erie St. SE. All courts are open daily,
dawn to dusk. Some are lighted for extended
evening play. Courts are available on a firstcome, first-served basis for one-hour intervals; extended use of tennis courts requires
a permit. Proper shoes and attire is required.
202-671-0314. dpr.dc.gov
Deanwood (indoor) Pool. Mon-Fri 6:30 AM8:00 PM; Sat-Sun, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM. Free
for DC residents. 1350 49th St. NE. 202-6713078. dpr.dc.gov
Ferebee Hope (indoor) Pool. Open weekdays, 10:00-6:00 PM. Closed weekends. Free
for DC residents. 3999 Eighth St. SE. 202645-3916. dpr.dc.gov
DC Public Outdoor Pools Open Memorial Day
Weekend. They will then be open weekends
only until school is out. After school is out
they will be open daily. All outdoor pools are
open weekends, noon-6:00 PM. Weekday hours
are 1:00-8:00 PM. Every pool is closed one
day a week for cleaning and maintenance. All
pools are free for DC residents. Have picture
ID. dpr.dc.gov
Anacostia Pool. 1800 Anacostia Dr. SE. 202724-1441. dpr.dc.gov
Barry Farms Pool. 1230 Sumner Rd. SE 202645-5040. dpr.dc.gov
Benning Park Pool. Southern Ave. and Fable
St.SE. 202-645-5044. dpr.dc.gov

BULLETIN BOARD
A volunteer work
crew helps to care
for the Kenilworth
Aquatic Gardens.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens
Good Neighbor Day

Fort Lincoln Neighborhood
First Annual Home Tour

The Fort Lincoln Civic Association, in northeast DC, is hosting its first ever home tour from
1-4 p.m., and a community-wide reception from
4-6 p.m., on Saturday, May 11. Proceeds will support the community improvement work undertaken year-round by the 11 standing committees of
the civic association. Fort Lincoln is the District’s
only planned community, conceived as a 360 acre
model of the best thinking of federal agencies, local
government and an umbrella neighborhood organization working in partnership. The theme of the
home tour is “Evolution of a Planned Community.”
For the first time visitors will be able to see inside
a variety of homes, in housing clusters featuring
innovative garden apartments, condominiums and
townhouses, that span the 36 year planning period.
The suggested tour path will enable visitors to track
changes in architecture and interior design as they
have evolved from 1976 to the present day.
The exemplary homes on the tour range from
multi-story, four-bedroom labyrinth homes to
boutique-like condominiums. The tour concludes
with a reception that will showcase the economic,
social and cultural diversity of Fort Lincoln. Fort
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Lincoln extends from Eastern Ave. to South Dakota Ave. and from Bladensburg Rd. to New York
Ave. Check-in on May 11 is at the Hagans Cultural Center, 3201 Fort Lincoln Dr. NE. Tickets
are $20 in advance and $25 day-of. For information and tickets, go to ftlincoln.org.

Mayor Gray Welcomes District’s
New Streetcars to Anacostia

On May 1, Mayor Gray welcomed the arrival of the second of the District’s fleet of
three streetcars to the Anacostia Testing and
Commissioning Site for a post-delivery testing
phase before making their way to the H Street/
Benning Road corridor this fall. The District’s
three streetcar vehicles were moved to the DC
Streetcar Testing and Commissioning site in
Anacostia. Construction has been underway at
the site since September to prepare for the vehicles’ arrival. With the arrival of all three vehicles,
post-delivery testing will start and will be conducted by WMATA and engineers from Inekon.
The vehicles will be operated and maintained in
Anacostia until this fall, when DDOT plans to
move them to the H Street/Benning Road line
to begin certification.

The Friends of Kenilworth Aquatic
Gardens invite you to participate in our
Good Neighbor Day event on May 18. The
day will begin with park service projects
from 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m., with volunteers
planting perennial flowers, landscaping
the grounds of the park, removing invasive
plants from the woods and collecting trash
along the banks of the river and marsh. An
additional clean-up site will be held at the
Marvin Gaye Park Trail at the intersection of Minnesota and Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenues, NE.
A park open house and fun activities for
the whole family will follow from 12:302:30 p.m., featuring guided park tours at
1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., and 2 p.m., a mini-art
exhibit from the students of Life Pieces
to Masterpieces, music from the East of
the River Boys and Girls Steel Band and
more. Pack a picnic lunch and join us for
a day of fun. To volunteer for the park service projects, RSVP Tina O’Connell at
tina@friendsofkenilworthgardens.org
or
202-494-0456. For more information, visit
friendsofkenilworthgardens.org.

Hillcrest Garden Tour June 15

The Hillcrest Garden Tour Committee announces the 20th Annual Hillcrest Garden Tour.
Please save June 15 to find out why they call Hillcrest the “best kept secret in Washington.” Tickets
are available at hiillcrestdc.com.

The National Park Service offers six Rhythm
and Blues performances in July and August as part
of Fort Dupont Park’s “Summer Theatre” concert
series. The upcoming concert series schedule will
be made available shortly. The concerts’ are sponsored solely by the National Park Service and free

EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 19

BULLETIN BOARD
to the public. Past performers have
been the SOS Band, Rose Royce,
Kindred, Regina Bell, Mandrill, Roy
Ayers and ZAPP. There is a Jr. Ranger tent offering programs for children
and general information about Fort
Dupont Park. Volunteers have played
a crucial role in supporting the concert, helping NPS staff from set-up
to break-down and all in between.
If you are interested in volunteering,
call 202-426-7723. nps.gov/fodu

Co-working Space in SE:
HIVE 3 for $300 Campaign

Why work alone? To promote
co-working in the Southeast community, The HIVE + The HIVE 2.0,
a small business incubator serving
creative entrepreneurs in Anacostia, announces a special “3 for $300”
rate on its Affiliate membership from
May Day to Labor Day. For $300,
participants get 3 months of access
to HIVE co-working space including plush lounges, wireless internet,
copiers, projectors, full kitchen, and
conference room space, as well as onsite business workshops. “3 for $300”
is a campaign to get more Southeast
entrepreneurs out of their homes and
into a co-working environment where
ideas can be shared quickly. For more
information, email membership@
thedchive.com or call 202-735-5985.
You can find The HIVE + The HIVE
2.0 on the web at thedchive.com.

Urban Waterfront
Development Panel at
Anacostia Community Museum

On May 14, 7:00 p.m., explore
various issues shared by communities
as they tackle the redevelopment of
their waterfronts. What are the various projects? What works and what
doesn’t? What are the various ways in
which waterfronts are being re-imagined? How engaged are local communities? Panelists include Uwe Brandes,
The Urban Land Institute, and Scott
Kratz, 11th Street Bridge Reuse Project. Anacostia Community Museum,
1901 Fort Pl. SE. anacostia.si.edu

Friends of Capitol View Library
Book Sale and Flea Market

On Saturdays May 18 and May
25, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., find new and used
20 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

books for sale on the sidewalk and
inside. The sale includes children’s
books, coffee table books, mysteries, novels, cook books, newspapers
with Black history articles, history,
romance, travel, science, arts and classics. Refreshments will be available
for purchase. There will also be a flea
market and live music. For more information or table space contact Marian J. Cole at 202-581-2665, Kirk
Adair at 202-210-0532 or Albertha
Johnson at 202-584-1415. The goal is
to raise enough money for a lighted
marquee for the library. Capitol View
Library, 5001 Central Ave. SE.

“Image is Everything? Self
Esteem, Body Image & the Media”

Talk it out with Project REACH.
They will get your mind thinking and
your body moving with Zumba, basketball, and yoga. Free admission, free
food, and free fun. All are welcome.
America’s Islamic Heritage Museum,
2315 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave. SE.
202-610-0586.muslimsinamerica.org

Figures in Jazz by John K.
Lawson at Honfleur Gallery

Figures in Jazz by John K. Lawson at Honfleur Gallery presents
large-scale vibrant collage portraits of
jazz legends, including Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, Nina Simone, Wynton Marsalis, and Miles
Davis. John K. Lawson was born in
Birmingham, England in 1962 and
first came to America on a student
exchange program in engineering at
Louisiana State University in Baton
Rouge. There his artistic abilities were
encouraged, and he returned to England two years later to concentrate
on landscape painting. Eventually,
Lawson was drawn back to the Deep
South, and soon became part of an
underground art culture in New Orleans that included working in tattoo,
T-shirt and mural designs long before
these mediums became mainstream.
Hurricane Katrina submerged his
studio and destroyed 25 years’ worth
of artwork and ephemera. Lawson began to rework the damaged remnants
into collages and started working in
the manner in which he made the
Figures in Jazzportraits.
There will be jazz performances at
Honfleur Gallery during the course

of the exhibitions. The Bobby Muncy
Trio will play on Thursday May 16
from 7-9 p.m. On Thursday June 6,
the Nasar Abadey Quartet will play
from 7-9 p.m. Twins Jazz is a partner
for these events. Honfleur Gallery,
1241 Good Hope Rd. SE. 202-3658392. honfleurgallery.com

Small Business Brief
Advice Legal Clinic

There is a Small Business Brief
Advice Legal Clinic on Wednesday,
May 15, 5-7:30 p.m. at the Anacostia Economic Development Center, 1800 Martin Luther King, Jr.
Ave. SE Suite 100. This clinic is
for aspiring or existing small business owners. Attendees will meet
one-on-one with attorneys for brief
advice on any legal issues their businesses may be facing.

Stephen King Film Series at
Francis A. Gregory Library

In celebration of Stephen King’s
ground-breaking novels, every other
Saturday in June and July come to a
Stephen King film series showcasing
his most famous film adaptations.
June 1: Carrie (1976) 98 min. Rated
R. A young and timid 17-year-old
girl who discovers she has telekinesis when she is humiliated by a
vicious prank on prom night. June
15: Secret Window (2004) 96 min.
Rated PG-13. A recently divorced
writer is accused of plagiarism by a
strange man, who stalks him to seek
justice. June 29: Creepshow (1982)
130 min. Rated R. A collection of
five tales of terror, this film inspired
by comics from the 1950s, features
work by Stephen King and George
A. Romero. July 13: Needful Things
(1993) 120 min. Rated R. A mysterious shop opens in a small town, but
the covetted items it sells come with
steep price tags. July 27: Firestarter
(1984) 115 min. Rated R. When
a couple participates in a medical
experiment that makes them gain
telekinetic abilities, they inadvertantly pass down pyrokinetic powers
to their young daughter, played by
Drew Barrymore. All films start at
1 p.m. Call 202-698-6373 for more
information. Francis A. Gregory Library, 3660 Alabama Ave. SE. 202698-6373. dclibrary.org/francis

Shepherd Parkway Cleanup

On Saturday, May 18, 10 a.m.1 p.m., join the Congress Heights
Community Association to help
clean up one of the most unique
wooded areas in the District. The
meeting Location is 4th and Mellon Sts. SE. If you have questions,
contact Congress Heights Community Association member Nathan
Harrington at nbharrington@yahoo.
com or 301-758-5892. Please wear
clothes you don’t mind getting dirty
and study shoes. There are lots of hills
-- if you think they will be an issue
please reconsider. shepherdparkway.
blogspot.com

Anacostia Playhouse Construction
Proceeds Ahead

After construction delays with
the permitting process, construction is once again underway. They
are a few days away from starting to
hang drywall.
The crew, headed up by Anacostia based contractor, HEP, is moving
along at a clip and they are right on
track for hosting the DC Jazz Festival on June 10. We are also thrilled
to be an official venue for the DC
Black Theatre Festival June 21-30.
2020 Shannon Place, SE, Washington, DC 20020. www.anacostiaplayhouse.com.

An Afternoon with Breena Clarke
at Anacostia Community Museum

On May 26, 2-4 p.m., Author
Breena Clarke reads from River Cross
My Heart and her latest novel Stand
the Storm, which explores the constant struggle and sacrifice of African
Americans to maintain their freedom
in a frontier town with no laws protecting black citizens. Book sale and
signing follow. Free; for reservations,
call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Community Museum, 1901 Fort Pl. SE.
anacostia.si.edu

20020. They collect the materials,
then pass them on to our contractor who makes the final selections.
nps.gov/fodu/planyourvisit/summer-theatre

Byte Back to Take on Programs
of First Time Computers

DC-based nonprofit Byte Back,
which provides basic and advanced
computer training for low-income
residents, is taking over the computer refurbishing and repair programs
of longtime partner First Time
Computers. This program will work
in conjunction with services that
Byte Back has provided for over
15 years, which include computer
literacy training, a wide array of IT
courses in hardware and software, as
well as assistance with employment
search for low-income residents of
the metropolitan Washington area.
Byte Back plans to open First
Time Technology this month at a
new location near the Deanwood
Metro Station on Minnesota Ave.
NE. Byte Back will honor vouchers for refurbished computers from
those who have earned them by
completing computer training programs at the DC Public Library
and at Byte Back. More information is available at byteback.org.

Benning Rd. Streetcar Extension
Feasibility Study Complete

The Benning Road Streetcar
Extension Feasibility Study examines the planning and engineering feasibility of extending streetcar service east of the Anacostia
River in northeast Washington.
This proposed line would pick up
from where the H Street/Benning
Road line, from Union Station to
Oklahoma Ave., terminates and
extend to either the Minnesota
Ave. or Benning Rd. Metrorail
stations. The study addresses how
the physical characteristics of the
area might either help or hinder
the project and various planning
considerations, answering questions like: What is the estimated
ridership? Where could the stops
be located? How will extending
the streetcar line impact on-street
parking? Will the three bridges the
streetcars need to cross support the

weight of a fully loaded vehicle?
What will the impacts be on traffic
in the area?
The proposed extension would
provide a high-capacity and sustainable premium transit option to:
Connect Ward 7 neighborhoods
with employment and activity centers west of the river; provide connections to the regional Metrorail
system and to multimodal transportation services at Union Station;
provide additional transit capacity to
relieve crowded bus lines; and support neighborhood plans for activity
centers at the Minnesota Ave./Benning Rd. intersection and elsewhere
along the corridor. The full report is
available dcstreetcar.com.

Nonprofit Partner Sought for
Health and Wellness Center at
Salvation Army in Anacostia

The Salvation Army National
Capital Area Command is actively seeking a 501c3 nonprofit
organization to open a health and
wellness center (gym) membership program on the fifth floor of
the Solomon G. Brown Community Center located at 2300 Martin
Luther King Jr.,Ave. SE. The space
was designed for a membershipbased gym and includes a studio
for aerobics. The total square footage of the space is 6,299 sq. ft. and
offers spectacular views of DC. The
ideal start time for opening the
program will be June 1, 2013. The
Salvation Army is offering to lease
this space to a nonprofit organization at an affordable cost and requires the organization to pay its
prorated share of operating costs.
Interested nonprofit partners
must have a minimum of five years
experience offering membershipbased health and wellness programs
and be registered as a nonprofit
corporation with the District of
Columbia; and submit five years of
audited statements and IRS form
990s. Letters of inquiry with supporting documentation should be
sent to: Dale Bannon, Executive
Director of Community and Professional Services, The Salvation
Army National Capital Area Command, 2626 Pennsylvania Avenue
NW, Washington DC 20037. u
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 21

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Special (Election) Education

A

nita Bonds can finally drop the “interim” from in front of her job title. With
her victory over five other contenders in the April 23 Special Election, Bonds
completes the rise to elected office that began last December when the D.C. Democratic State Committee — which she chairs
— chose her to fill the seat vacated by D.C.
Council Chair Phil Mendelson.
On April 23, she pulled in just over
16,000 of the close to 50,000 ballots cast—
32 percent—leaving progressive challenger
Elissa Silverman in second place (28 percent) and Republican Patrick Mara in a
distant third (23 percent). Matthew Frumin
claimed 11 percent, while Paul Zukerberg
and Perry Redd could only muster two percent each.

The Lessons From April 23

Bonds’ Pyrrhic Victory: Bonds may have
won, but it wasn’t a decisive victory. In fact,
it’s fair to say that close to 70 percent of D.C.
voters cast ballots against her. When weighted for turnout—which was highest in Ward 3
and lowest in Ward 8—Bonds’ appeal across
the city was generally quite weak.
Vote-Splitting Matters: Despite her
soft support, Bonds won because her main
competitors—Mara, Silverman and Frumin—ate into each other’s vote totals where
it mattered most. While it’s hard to say exactly how things would have changed had
Frumin dropped out, as Silverman asked
him to do a week before the election, even
a small number of his Ward 3 supporters
22 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

by Martin Austermuhle

switching over to Silverman’s side would
have brought her that much closer to victory.
This vote-splitting certainly isn’t anything
new—it happened between Peter Shapiro
and Sekou Biddle in the April 2012 AtLarge Democratic primary for one, as well
as in the April 26 At-Large Special Election.
In that race, eventual victor Councilmember
Vincent Orange (D-At Large) wasn’t much
stronger than Bonds, nor did his base of support extend much further outsides of wards
5, 7 and 8. But he did benefit from a field
of like-minded contenders that divided the
loyalties and votes of those in wards 1, 2, 3,
and 6. If progressive-minded candidates ever
want to win, especially in low-turnout affairs
like the special elections have come to be,
they’re going to have to think—and campaign—much more strategically.
Silverman’s Success: The big surprise
of the campaign was certainly Silverman,
the former reporter, current policy wonk
and first-time council contender. Unlike
many of her predecessors, she managed to
cobble together a broad base of support—
according to an after-the-fact analysis of
the results, her campaign found that she
won 20 percent of the vote in six different
wards, something no other campaign could
boast. And though Silverman campaigned
on the theme of ethics and integrity, she
also showed a pragmatic side by trying to
knock competitors off the ballot—succeeding in one case, failing in another—and
trying to negotiate Frumin off of the ballot. She failed in the latter attempt, but it

showed that she understood the
point we made above—vote-splitting matters.
Mara’s Mediocrity: Other than
Silverman’s strong performance,
the big story of the Special Election may well have been Mara’s
mediocre showing. Compared to
2011, when he came less than 2,000
votes from defeating Orange, Mara
did not increase his share of voters
anywhere in the city. In fact, both
Silverman and Frumin chipped
away at his base of support where
he tended to do best—wards 2 and
3—while he stagnated in wards 1
and 6, areas that he needed in order
to emerge victorious. His inability
to scrape together more votes is
even more surprising when you
consider the money he had at his
disposal: he raised $140,000 and
benefited from tens of thousands
more in outside spending by PACs.
All that money clearly didn’t translate to energy for his candidacy.
Party’s Over: With Mara’s defeat—his third loss in a citywide
race since 2011—the D.C. Republican Party is all but dead. If it couldn’t
win with an experienced and wellfunded campaigner who consistently stressed a moderate message, it’s
unclear who it could run and where
it would be most likely to win. This
is all the more ironic once you consider that it was Mara that helped
unseat the least Republican legislator to sit on the D.C. Council, defeating Carol Schwartz in a divisive
2008 primary. If the D.C. GOP ever
wants to win a race, it has to rethink
its message and, more importantly,
its affiliation to the toxic national
party that D.C. residents reject every chance they get.
Statehood Who?: Not to pick
on the Republican Party alone, but
does anyone take the Statehood
Green Party seriously anymore? Perry Redd mustered only enough votes
to get him above Michael Brown,
who dropped out of the race in
March. With yet another loss under
its belt, the Statehood Green Party
continues its streak of not having any
representation on the council; its last
councilmember was Julius Hobson,
and that was in the 1970s.
The Media’s Waning Influence: Everyone knows that the me-

dia is suffering from an existential
and financial crisis, but the extent
of its loss of influence couldn’t have
been more apparent than it was in
recent weeks. Like it did ahead of
his 2008 and 2011 citywide runs,
The Washington Post’s editorial
board endorsed Mara. But this time,
it re-endorsed him in four separate
editorials. Despite the hundreds
of words it wasted on singing his
praises, voters weren’t convinced.
The Post wasn’t alone, though—the
Current endorsed twice, and the
Examiner kicked in for an endorsement of its own. None of them affected the outcome.

What the Elections Means
for the Mayoral Race

Looking towards next year’s
mayoral primary, the results of the
Special Election don’t change the
dynamics of what it will take to
win. The city’s electorate is divided
largely along geographic and racial
lines: wards 2, 3 and 6 vote one
way, with wards 5, 7 and 8 going
the other.
That being said, that model
could be shifting—albeit slowly,
and in small ways. Various precincts
in Ward 5 have gone for reformminded candidates in recent years;
both Councilmembers Kenyan
McDuffie (D-Ward 5) and David
Grosso (I-At Large) did well in
Brookland and Bloomingdale, for
instance. Additionally, Ward 4’s
voters—which tend to show up in
droves—have shown that they’re
willing to buck expectations and
play a decisive role in elections.
This, of course, could make for
a very close contest between declared candidate Councilmember
Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and
contender-in-waiting
Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward
6). While Bowser could emerge a
frontrunner with her base of support in Ward 4, Wells could continue building upon the progressive coalition that ushered Grosso
to victory and Silverman to a close
second-place to become the city’s
first white mayor.
Martin Austermuhle is a freelance
writer living in Columbia Heights. u
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 23

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

the NUMB3RS 3.327.649.10

Avoiding a Self-Inflicted Disaster
Will DC Cut Assistance to Families in Crisis?

M

s. C is a parental success story by any
measure. She is a single mother of five
children, three of whom have profound
disabilities, yet she has gotten her children into
good schools, found them a safe place to live, and
recently graduated from a barbering course.
Ms. C also shows that success against
long odds often hangs on by just a thread. She
has relied on welfare at times, when the needs
of her children became especially demanding. DC’s
Temporary Assistance for
Needy Families (TANF)
program kept her from
having to choose between
things like food, children’s
clothing and putting gas in
the car to get to their many
doctor’s appointments.
Today, however, Ms. C
she is concerned that she
will not find a barbering job
before her TANF benefits
are cut sharply, because she
has received aid for more
than 60 months. As DC’s
law currently stands, there is
absolutely no way to postpone the date when she
– and other parents in
challenging circumstances
– will lose assistance.
Ms. C’s situation may
be somewhat unique,
but many of DC’s families on welfare face obstacles that would overwhelm the strongest of us, from depression to
domestic violence to being shortchanged by the
education system. There are 6,000 families, with
12,000 children, that face steep cuts in income assistance this fall to just $257 a month for a family
of three. The cuts will occur regardless of a family’s circumstances.

24 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

by Ed Lazere
In a year when 600 children found themselves
living in the District’s largest homeless shelter,
cutting assistance to families further is a recipe
for disaster. Most of us feel that welfare assistance
should be temporary, with the goal of moving families to employment. But most of us also probably
agree that families and their children should not be
cut off if that is likely to lead to hardship.
There is a better approach. Most states offer

time limit extensions that “stop the clock” when
families face situations that limit their ability to
look for work, such as after a serious injury. The
clock starts again when the situation improves.
DC doesn’t stop the clock for any families, but it
should. Reasonable time limit exemptions offer a
balance between creating a sense of urgency among
families on welfare to prepare for work and mak-

ing sure that children’s basic needs are protected.
The DC Council adopted legislation a year ago to
create exemptions, but the bill never got funded.
With the city’s finances improving, now is the time
to put them into effect.

DC’s Backward Approach to
Welfare Reform

The District of Columbia didn’t impose TANF
time limits until 2011, when
the city started phasing out
TANF benefits for families on aid more than 60
months. DC came to this
game late, since most states
started imposing time limits in the 1990s. Yet the way
that DC has gone about its
welfare time limits was definitely backwards, in two key
ways.
First, when most states
implemented time limits, they let families know
that they had a set amount
of time before assistance
would be terminated. DC,
by contrast, imposed benefit cuts on families who
had been on assistance for
60 months at the time the
new law was passed. While
it technically is a 60-month
time limit, families in effect faced a one-month time
limit because that was the notice they received of
impending cuts. If time limits are supposed to be
an incentive to look for work, this was not the right
way to do it.
Second, DC’s time limits went into effect before meaningful employment programs were put in
place. For years, the city offered limited “employment readiness” services to all welfare recipients,

whether they had graduated from
college or only finished third grade.
And DC’s welfare program did a
very poor job of identifying families
with special needs, such as those
with mental health issues. The results, not surprisingly, were not very
promising. Parents leaving welfare
for work earned an average of $9 an
hour, and many ended up on welfare again before too long.
The Department of Human
Services revamped its TANF employment programs last year, with
a more in-depth assessment of
client needs and more customized
training options, but this occurred
after time limits were in place, not
before. Mayor Gray and the DC
Council ultimately decided to delay
further benefit cuts for two years, to
give more time for families to access
new employment services. But the
next round of cuts is now coming
up, in October.

DC’s Time Limit Falls
on Families Even if They
Aren’t Able to Look for Work

Ms. C’s three children with special needs require intense medical
attention. One of them is suffering from an autoimmune disease
that has caused him to go deaf,
develop diabetes, hypertension and
cataracts. He requires constant professional care that his insurance
company had threatened to cut.
Ms. Christian is routinely traveling throughout the Washington
area for school meetings, to visit the
family physician or to see specialists. These trips take at least 15-20
hours a week.
The District’s TANF program
doesn’t require families like Ms. C’s
to be looking for employment while
they are facing serious issues such
as domestic violence or the need to
care for a seriously ill child. These
kinds of work exemptions are part
of the TANF programs in nearly
every state.
But in DC, each family’s
60-month time limit clock continues to run, leaving it at risk of
steep benefit cuts, even though
most states stop the clock in these
situations. This leaves parents with
little time remaining to prepare for
work once they have gotten past
their problem.

DC also doesn’t extend assistance to families engaged in
education or training that may take
a while to complete. Nine states
stop the clock for families in education or training, so that a parent
doesn’t have to cut her education
short and take a low-wage job to
protect her family.
DC’s one-size-fits-all time
limit policy will mean steep cuts in
assistance for thousands of families this fall. Under current law, any
family that has received assistance
for more than 60 months will face
a benefit cut in October. It will
not matter how much of a parent’s
60 months on TANF had been
spent caring for a relative with a
disability, or even whether the parent currently is in a domestic violence shelter trying to put her life
back together.

A Successful Welfare to Work
Program Should Focus on
Jobs, Not Cutting Rolls

The success of DC’s TANF program — or the program in any state
— should be the number of families
that find stable living-wage work.
Reducing the welfare rolls alone is
not success. The District could soon
find that cutting benefits to families
like Ms. C’s, while consistent with
the principle that cash assistance
should be temporary, could prove
counter-productive if it means that
more families fall into crisis, more
children come to school stressed
and not ready to learn, and more
families seek emergency shelter as
they lose their homes.
The instability that the upcoming benefit cut threatens for Ms. C’s
family and others can be prevented.
A good starting point would be to
adopt policies that don’t cut families
off when they are facing a situation
that everyone agrees prevents them
from working. A sensible approach
to time limits, that gives families
times to work though a crisis and
then look for employment, is best
for families and therefore best for
the city as well.
Lazere is executive director of the DC
Fiscal Policy Institute (www.dcfpi.
org), which conducts research on tax
and budget issues that affect low- and
moderate-income DC residents. u
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 25

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS

Penn Branch Shopping Center Enters Foreclosure

I

n 2005, ICG Properties, a DC-based real
estate development firm, purchased Penn
Branch Shopping Center with the hope of
giving the property a much-needed upgrade.
Eight years later, the project is facing foreclosure. With an auction scheduled for May 8, it
marks an end of a hopeful, but problematic, plan
to revitalize a property in need of extensive renovation and upgrading.

Why Penn Branch?

Located on the corner of Pennsylvania and
Branch Avenues, Penn Branch was built in 1964
with Safeway as an anchor tenant. Today, that
space is home to DC government offices for the
police department and the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV ). Despite having amenities
like a CVS Pharmacy and Wells Fargo Bank,
poor parking patterns, broken escalators and
an overall dated appearance made the shopping
center an eyesore.
However, Penn Branch’s location made it an attractive purchase. The property is in close proximity to affluent neighborhoods, such as Hillcrest and
nearly 50,000 cars travel pass the property every
day. With Skyland Town Center a lawsuit-plagued
uncertainty at the time, redeveloping Penn Branch
seemed to be the best way to bring better retail options east of the Anacostia River.

Redevelopment Plans

By 2009, ICG began presenting their plans. The
idea was to turn the shopping center into a mixedused property, expanding the office and retail spaces
and adding a residential area to the back. They also
planned to update the signage, replace the escalators, install elevators, redesign the parking lot, and
build two new retail pads for a coffee shop and a
sit-down restaurant, with outdoor seating.
While both Wells Fargo and CVS would keep
their spaces as anchor tenants (with an expansion
for the latter), ICG hired Tom Papadopoulos, one
of the city’s top restaurant brokers, to find more
retail tenants. Some potential tenants they considered included Ledo’s Pizza, Dunkin’ Donuts, and
Ben’s Chili Bowl.
26 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

by Charnice A. Milton

Government Holdup

Although the city
and ICG agreed on a
10-year lease extension for Penn Branch’s
DMV office in 2010,
progress stalled when
then-deputy mayor
of planning and economic development
Valerie Santos, failed
to send it to city council for approval. Dur- ICG Properties’ original rendering for Penn Branch Shopping Center. The Washington Post reported that
Penn Branch is going into foreclosure, with an auction set for May 8. Photo: Courtesy of ICG Properties
ing a March 15, 2010
hearing for the Committee on Economic Development, Santos stated, Community Reactions
“The current leases are expiring in 2012, so there
“Of course I was disappointed when I heard,”
is time to ensure that if any government leases said Ward 7 Coucilmember Yvette Alexander.
continue at that site, they are surrounded by the “I’m a Penn Branch resident, so this hits close to
type of quality retail that neighborhoods want.” home.” She plans to work with the new owners, the
Then-Councilmember Kwame Brown called her community, and Office of the Deputy Mayor for
statement “unacceptable,” arguing that it was not Planning and Economic Development. “We will
fair for residents to continue waiting for a project continue to advocate for Penn Branch Shopping
that is ready to begin. In fact, the extension was Center, so it will be a premiere dining, retail, and
not approved until after Vincent Gray became residential destination,” said Alexander.
Mayor in 2011.
Julie Rones, a resident who grew up in the
Penn Branch area, had a stronger reaction. “This
economic correction should warrant greater outcry,
Money Issues
According to the Washington Post’s Capital shouldn’t it?” she asked. “I somehow feel loss and
Business blog, ICG paid more than $24 million for deception because the pictures painted have conPenn Branch and spent nearly $500,000 on designs sistently been that economic development at this
and plans over eight years. However, ICG could site would be happening. Why was the community
not clear its plans with its lender, leaving about $20 kept in the dark about this?”
Kweku Toure, the president of PBCCA, was
million of the loan unpaid. The company could lose
more
optimistic. “It’s not entirely bad news,” he
up to $5 million on the project.
Ayanna Smith, vice president of the Penn said. “This is a chance for a new start.” Toure
Branch Citizens Civic Association (PBCCA), says the community rejected the residential
said she discussed Penn Branch’s financing issues portion of ICG’s plans. “Once the community
with ICG principal Daniel Stern last fall. “...[M] rejected the condo aspect, the plans fell apart,”
y commonsense told me his funders were not go- he said. He, along with the PBCCA, plans to
ing to support the redevelopment without a strong work with the new owners, but hopes they can
revenue plan,” she wrote in a post to HillcrestDC’s reach a compromise that satisfies both parties.
listserv. She also wrote that some tenants were not Smith agrees, adding, “We have to be more repaying their rent and “a faithful few,” including alistic in our expectations. If we want the busiCVS, Wells Fargo, DC government, Cricket Wire- nesses in our community to survive and thrive,
less, and “perhaps” Subway, supported the mortgage. we have to support them.” u

Book Free in D.C.
by E. Ethelbert Miller

After our books disappeared our
names vanished.

In my upstairs office at home are a stack
of record albums that once belonged to my
father. I no longer play them. I can quickly
access every recording by Wes Montgomery
or Carmen McRae on my computer. Maybe
this would please my father if he was living.
I remember the day he purchased a popular
recording and was so excited about arriving
home to play it. He placed it on the bed while
changing his clothes. Either my sister or I
was responsible for the record sliding off the
bed, hitting the floor and hearing it make a
non-musical sound. My father was outraged.
I started running like Willie Mays – an invisible cap flying off my head.

Music should never be associated
with bad memories unless it’s the blues.

I live in a house of books. The books I’ve
written might one day be my children’s inheritance, but what about the others? When
I die, where will these books go? Many of my
friends who are writers have glorious collections. They have bookshelves filled with
first editions, autographed novels by favorite authors and old textbooks with marginal
handwritten notes on page after page. How
many of these books will ever know a second
life somewhere? How many will be removed
from indoor “book gardens” and placed on
a sidewalk corner in a brown paper box? Is
this any way to bloom? Is there such a thing
as a homeless book or book poverty?
Since last June the number of books I’ve
purchased from local bookstores has plunged
into single digits. I still mourn for the days
spent with Todd Stewart and Bridget War-

ren at Vertigo, when it was located at Dupont
Circle. The good news is that I frequent the
public libraries as often as I did when I was
a young boy growing up in the South Bronx.
I’ve always loved libraries and supported them.

Was the first woman I fell in love
with a librarian?

One of the wonderful thing about DC
these days is its neighborhood libraries.
I’m always at the Takoma Park branch.
Our libraries have now become citizen hubs
of social activity, sacred places celebrating
diversity and preserving democracy. Here
the elderly sit side by side with the young,
the unemployed next to the professionals. At
the library, things are still free.

Being a literary activist, one of
my major concerns is the
preservation of items.

My personal collection is housed at the
Gelman Library at The George Washington University. Along with books, I have a
passion for keeping correspondence, flyers
and posters. I don’t want to destroy history
or forget it by placing it in the garbage bin.
I’m certain ebooks will have their time and
place and slowly it seems to be now. But give
me the sweet smell of paper, let me place my
hand around the spine of a book and kiss
the page. I don’t want to be seduced, I want
to be loved.
Across the room, as I write this column,
my father’s albums sit collecting dust. I have
been a witness to the vanishing days of vinyl.
I look at my book collection wondering what
will endure. Why is death so visible at times?
– E. Ethelbert Miller u

avid Shuster is a recognizable face on
television news: throughout his Emmywinning career the Current TV reporter
has worked for CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.
However, every Saturday afternoon he can been
seen – and heard – online and on the air on We
Act Radio’s “Take Action News.” With the goal
of informing and encouraging listeners to be more
active in their government, Shuster is happy to engage an audience he feels has been underserved.

Beginnings

When We Act’s co-founders, Alex Lawson
and Kymone Lawson, approached Shuster to do a
show, he agreed after listening to their vision for
their community-focused radio station. “For the
last 15 years I have been doing national news,”
Shuster explained. “I felt that this was an opportunity to do things differently.” He also saw the
new show as an opportunity not only to serve his
hometown but to engage We Act’s intended audience, residents living east of the Anacostia River,
in the political process. “This audience has been
underserved in the news and in Congress,” Shuster
explained. “This is something that is near and dear
to my heart.”

by Charnice A. Milton

Even today Shuster is impressed with We Act’s
position in the Anacostia community. “It’s a cool
place to hang out,” he said. “People actually come
in to be a part of the discussion. To be a part of that
kind of station from the ground up was an honor.”

show, making changes as needed. “When we do a
live show, I try to show up at the studio around
10:00 a.m.,” Marans explained. “The show starts at
12:00 and goes on until 3:00.”

Behind the Scenes

While the show is considered the main event,
“Take Action News” originated as an idea for a
website. Launched in 2011, takeactionnews.com
invites visitors to read the latest news and commentary from Shuster, Marans, and other experts,
as well as get involved in the political process. One
of its tools is Popvox, a service that allows visitors
to connect with their Congressional representative
and voice opinions regarding upcoming bills. After
the show premiered the website also offered links
to download podcasts from iTunes. In December
the show began producing shows on YouTube, garnering over 1,400 subscribers to the “Take Action
News” channel.

Show preparation starts on Tuesdays, when
Shuster and his staff, including executive producer
and co-host Daniel Marans, begin discussing potential topics and guests and develop a tentative
rundown. “That rundown evolves over the course
of the week,” Marans explained. “It evolves based
on which guests are available and which topics
become more current.” One example of this was
in August 2012 when Mitt Romney announced
Paul Ryan as his running mate. The announcement came on a Friday afternoon – right after they
finished a special live episode. “We were up late,
watching the news, figuring things out,” Marans
reminisced. “We just changed the entire show and
made that the topic.”
By Wednesday and Thursday the staff has a
better idea of the material and which sound clips
to use when they begin the pre-recording process.
By Friday the staff finish preparing for Saturday’s

David Shuster during a Skype call. He lives in New York, but special equipment at the We Act
studio allows him to host “Take Action News” from his home studio. Photo: Charnice A. Milton

28 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

An Interactive Show

Taking on Challenges

Shuster admits that balancing work at Current
TV and “Take Action News” is a challenge. “Usually it takes me five hours to prepare,” he explained.
“The good thing about it is that there’s a lot of

crossover between the two.”
Last fall added a new challenge
for Shuster: moving to New
York to take care of his pregnant wife. While he still comes
to the We Act studio once a
month, Shuster does the show
from his home studio.
With Shuster in New York
most of the work falls on Marans
and the rest of the staff. Marans
himself takes on multiple roles,
including booking agent, producer, and content manager.
However, he is thankful for past
and present staff members who
have dedicated their time and
effort throughout the show’s
run. “We are that ‘little independent radio station that could,’ so
sometimes things can go haywire the day of,” said Marans.
“Shuster always tells me, ‘What
doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ If you can learn to broadcast
under those conditions, you can
do anything.”

Just Getting Started

In the year since “Take Action News” premiered on the
radio Shuster not only established himself on a new platform but also helped raise We
Act’s profile as a news source.
For instance, when the Supreme
Court ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act individual
mandate, Shuster was one of the
first to get the report right, while
CNN and Fox News Channel
incorrectly reported that it was
struck down. “It’s just getting
started,” he said. “The fact that
this continues to grow is encouraging.” However, the goal
of encouraging his audience to
stay informed and make a difference stays the same. Shuster’s
advice: “Tune in and be a part of
the conversation.”
“Take Action News” with
David Shuster broadcasts on
Saturday from 12:00 to 3:00
p.m. on WPWC, 1480 AM,
and on takeactionnews.com.
Past broadcasts are available as
podcasts on iTunes and at youtube.com/takeactionnewstv. We
Act Radio is located at 1918
Martin Luther King, Jr., Ave.
SE, Washington, DC 20020. u

JOHNSON LAW GROUP
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cally and socially empowered,” said I. Toni
Thomas, who serves as
president and CEO.
Upon retiring from the
federal government after
37 years, Thomas founded the organization as a
way of giving back to the
community that gave so
much to her.
According to the
company profile the organization “represents a
resource for changing the
status quo and enabling a
community experiencing
various social, economic
and human service isI. Toni Thomas, founder, president, and CEO of Toni Thomas Associates, Inc., poses with graduates
sues.” Toni Thomas also
from the Community Empowerment Training Academy (CETA). Photo: I. Toni Thomas.
helps private developers
n a Wednesday afternoon in a small class- by “bringing about community buy-in and support
room Andrea Hawkins prepared for the which often can be elusive.”
next exam. She is a student in the Community Empowerment Training Academy’s (CETA) CETA
medical office assistant (MOA) course. “Well, I’m
CETA, one of Toni Thomas’
already in the medical field, so this will just add more well-known programs, beto the experience I already have,” she explained. gan in 2004. “It’s been very sucHawkins currently works as a home health aide, but cessful in providing students with
receiving a MOA certification means finding a bet- skills to earn better than a living
ter job at a private medical office or hospital. Over wage,” said Thomas. With an anthe last decade CETA has helped students like nual goal of serving at least 40
Hawkins gain employable skills to enter or re-enter students (depending on funding),
the workforce. Using a community-focused plan, CETA is perfect for a person who
CETA looks for new ways to help their students is unemployed, underemployed,
reach their goals.
or could benefit from retraining.

O

Toni Thomas Associates, Inc.

Founded in 1995, Toni Thomas Associates,
Inc., is a community-based organization focusing
on a comprehensive approach to changing lives.
“We focus on the individual who can benefit from
programs and services to become more economi30 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

After students finish the program
they have the opportunity to take
an official certification exam and
also receive job placement assistance. Sometimes the best-case
scenario is that the student receives an externship or a job-

shadowing experience that leads to employment.
One person who hopes to get an externship
is Gabrielle Thomas, a CETA student who works
as a residential aide for an adult hospice. “When I
finish, I want to train for phlebotomy eventually,”
she explained. “You have to start somewhere and I
thought MOA was a great place to start.” Another
student looking for employment is Dirk Estes, Jr.
“Being a medical assistant, as far as helping people,
is something that I always wanted to do,” he said. “It
would probably open more doors for me.” His goal
is to work at Washington Hospital Center.
Initially CETA offered a commercial driver’s
license (CDL) course funded by the DC Department of Employment Services (DOES). However, with limited funding CETA dropped the
course. Currently the program is licensed to offer
the MOA and a computer skills course, with plans
to add security-guard training in the near future.
While DOES still funds the courses, Toni Thomas
continually bids on new contracts to bring more
courses to the program. Specifically Thomas wants
to bring A+ and IT training and reestablish the
CDL course.

“Because this is a community-based school, convenience
is very important,” said Dierdre
Anderson, the MOA course instructor. “We’re a smaller class,
which makes it more intimate
and more personalized.” As a result each student gets individual
attention, and instruction is not
confined to just the classroom. “I
just think that’s better for them ...
you have an opportunity to get to
know each of the students a little
better and they work very well
together.” For example, Beverly
Day was in another program but
couldn’t afford it. “I had to go to
the Department of Employment
Services and they gave me a listing,” she explained. “I chose this
one because I felt more comfortable here.” Despite only being in
her second week of classes Day
said she had no problem adjusting.
However, many choose the
program because it is in the community. “A lot of them want to be
able to get this training and then
use their skills to give back to
the community,” Anderson explained. This is the case for Day,
who wants to work with children
after receiving her certification.

Life After Graduation

“One of the things we stress
is what you learn here in class,
you will have to adjust once you
get into the work environment,”
Anderson explained. She compares the experience to a high
school graduate entering college: “In high school you learn so
many different things. When you
go to college it’s a different experience, but there are certain skills
they expect you to have and they
will add on to that.” When Anderson talks to her past students
she asks, “Is it what you thought
it would be?” The answer: “Yes,
and then some.”
Toni Thomas Associates, Inc., is
located at 1920 Martin Luther
King, Jr., Ave. SE Washington,
DC 20020. For more information
call 202-610-1080 or email info@
tonithomas.com. u
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 31

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

A New Look at Breast Cancer
at United Medical Center

W

hen EOR last interviewed Natalie
Williams she was preparing for a major life change. She had just been diagnosed with breast cancer and made a very tough
decision about how to treat it. She was scared but
ready to fight. Her breast cancer battle has transitioned into a quest to save more lives of women in
Wards 7 and 8. With the help of her new position
at a local hospital, Williams is armed for round two
of the battle between her and the Big C.

Turning a Test into a Testimony

Williams has been on a pretty tough ride since
October 2012. She went for her very first mammogram just before her 40th birthday. The doctors
found a lump in one breast and potential cancer
activity in her other one. Williams made a bold decision to have a double mastectomy as a precaution.
Her health woes challenged more than just her
body. They tested her faith and friendships as well.
She said in an interview that she went through a
downslide for a time. “There was a point when I
questioned, ‘why me?’ No one else in my family had
it [breast cancer]. I also went through the period
with vanity issues. I questioned if I should remove
just one breast. What will I look like after surgery?
I’m still going through the vanity part. There are
days I want to come to work without my wig but I
still hang in there with it.”
Now that she has put surgery behind her Williams can focus on living a healthy life and building
new relationships. She did chemotherapy in January
and began reconstructive surgery. She is now working through radiation. Throughout it all Williams
32 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

by Candace Y.A. Montague

has kept her diagnosis in perspective and forged
ahead unshaken by the events of the past six months.
“I’ve lost all my hair. I’ve lost weight. I’ve lost some
friends that caused stress. But I’ve never lost faith.”
Williams’ diagnosis turned out to be the first
step in a career move that would place her in a position to give back to the community. Eight weeks
after both breasts were removed she rebounded and
started the Natalie Williams Breast Care Foundation. She also became the new corporate secretary
to the Board of Directors for United Medical Center. She serves as a liaison between the board and
hospital executives. “It was a perfect marriage. With
my PR background and my history in this community, coming to work for UMC was a great career
opportunity to use my story to help others,” said
Williams. Part of her job is to let the community
at large know what UMC has to offer. “There is a
big misconception about this hospital. The misconception is that we don’t have the things to support
healthy living. But we do. We have great doctors
and medical innovations that you won’t get anywhere else. Our challenge is to tell our story more.”

Breast Cancer among African-Americans

In the District breast cancer has hit AfricanAmerican women especially hard. According to
Kaiser Family Foundation statistics the rate of
breast cancer incidence among white women in
the District was 138.0 per 100,000 in 2008 as
compared to black women at 116.1 per 100,000.
However, the rate of breast cancer deaths among
African-American women was 32.4 per 100,000
compared to 21.0 among white women. A breast

Natalie Williams celebrating her last day of chemotherapy at GW
Hospital with breast buddy and survivor Donna Rouse. Photo:
Courtesy of Natalie Williams

cancer diagnosis for African-American women
can paint a very different picture, as they are more
likely to be diagnosed at later stages.
What interferes with early detection that
could potentially save a life? Some advocates say
access to care, misinformation, and a culture of
fear regarding cancer. Although the District has
a low rate of uninsured residents (9.8 percent),

many residents in Wards 7 and 8 are limited in
their access to care. Furthermore, the quality of
care is compromised by slow reimbursements to
providers. This delayed process discourages physicians from accepting certain health insurance
plans. There’s also distinct silence about breast
cancer within the African-American community. New campaigns aimed at black women are
trying to create more conversations about the
importance of early detection.
One source of assistance that seems to be
making a difference is the help of patient navigator services. Navigators help patients overcome barriers to getting health care, including
setting up appointments, dealing with health
insurance, and helping with fears about cancer. One George Washington University study
found that navigation services offered to women
who needed a test known as a biopsy had even
more of a time advantage. Women in this study
who needed a biopsy got a diagnosis in just 27
days if they received navigation. Women who
did not get extra help in navigating the system
found that it took a lot longer – an average of 58
days – to get a diagnosis.

As for Natalie Williams, she lives to fight on
and use her life as an example of how to turn the
tables on a disease that has taken far too many
lives. She said it’s all coming together now. “I believe that God has put me in the right place at
the right time and gave me the right testimony
with the influence that I have in this community
to reach people. It’s like a puzzle. I feel like that
whole puzzle has been put together.”

For more information about Test My Breast
visit www.united-medicalcenter.com or call 202574-6743. To learn more about the Natalie Williams Breast Care Foundation visit www.supportbreastcare.com.
Candace Y.A. Montague is a freelance health writer
in Washington, DC. u

Mammography Reinvented

United Medical Center is home to one of
the newest innovations in breast cancer health.
The Phillips MicroDose Mammography machine is not your mother’s mammography machine. It is a full-field mammography system
that uses x-ray photon-counting technology to
deliver quality breast images with a low radiation dose. Its design is different from traditional
mammogram machines. It has a warm breastcompression plate and can take images faster.
UMC is one of four hospitals in the country to
provide this new technology.
Dr. Theodore Williams, Director of Radiology
at UMC, stated, “When you use it you will love it.
It has a swivel tube which covers more area of the
breast. And when you combine that with the warm
plate, it makes the experience better. Women tell
me that it’s much better.”
United Medical will kick off the Test My
Breast Campaign on May 25. This campaign is
aimed at getting 1,000 women to have mammograms between May and the end of October. Ward
7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander has agreed to
be the first to be tested. Alexander said the community needs to know what they have in their
own backyard. “It’s so important for women in
African-American communities to know that they
have the resources out there. A lot of people don’t
know about all the great things they have within
the hospital. And it’s really important for women
over 40 to get those mammograms. I want to be an
example for the community. My mom is a breast
cancer survivor so it’s really important from my
perspective. Early detection really is the key.”

Dr. Tu, Chairman of Radiology, explains the new MicroDose Mammography Unit. Photo: Courtesy of UMC
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 33

hymee Davis, the nutritionist at Washington Seniors Wellness Center, is part of a staff
dedicated to providing programs for residents
60 years of age and older in Ward 7. One of her
classes, Healthy Cooking, shows how individuals
can prepare great-tasting and healthful meals easily
and cost-effectively. She encourages participants to
bring in recipes and prepare favorite dishes, showcasing their own talents and food preferences.
Davis finds recipes in cooking magazines, online sites, and cooking shows, “but the members
are actually the best resource – they have terrific
recipes to share.” Camille Gorham, an avid cook
who learned from her mother, volunteered to
demonstrate a favorite recipe for a recent Healthy
Cooking class. Gorham prepared all of the meals
when her three children were younger, and most
days she prefers to cook for herself and her husband rather than going out to restaurants. “I’ll try
to cook most anything, and I chose the broccoli
and chicken stir-fry recipe [see below] because of
the healthy ingredients – it’s low in calories and I
know that we need to be aware of what we’re eating,” states Gorham.
Gorham also takes advantage of the aerobics
classes at the center to augment her daily walks in
her neighborhood, and enjoys participating in the
monthly Soup and Salad Social class. Soup is on
the menu October through March and salad during
April through September.
Davis says that they see a wide variety of salads in the upcoming season, ranging from fruit
that might include tropical varieties like pineapple,
mango, banana, and kiwi to more savory salads like
tuna, potato, or seasonal green salads made with

by Annette Nielsen
beets, sunflower seeds, eggs, cheese, and carrots. At
the end of each of her cooking sessions she shares
information on the ingredients in the recipes – nutrition content like calories, vitamins, and minerals,
as well as highlighting any items containing antioxidants.
Gloria Logan, a nearby resident and program
participant at the Washington Seniors Wellness
Center, addresses people attending the cooking
demonstration. She’s enthusiastic about the programs at the center, which has been open since
1985 – everything from yoga, Tai Chi, line dancing,
and card and board games to the Healthy Cookingclass. “It’s great that the programs are accessible
to everyone and offered free of charge to DC residents. They’re tailored to those 60 years of age and
older, focusing on nutrition, overall health, wellness,
and exercise – enhancing mind, body and spirit.”
The Washington Seniors Wellness Center is
funded by the DC Office on Aging, which provides
Senior Wellness Centers in every ward. The centers’
programs are managed by various 501 (c)(3) organizations. In the case of Washington Seniors Wellness Center the managing entity is East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc. Rosie Parke
of East River is impressed with the programming
and events taking place at the Washington Seniors
Wellness Center, as well as the friendly atmosphere.
“The seniors are so outgoing – they’re always talking with their peers and to me – it’s a very engaging
social environment.”
Orientation sessions take place Mondays (11:00
a.m.) and Thursdays (2:00 p.m.) at the Washington
Seniors Wellness Center, 3001 Alabama Ave SE,
202-581-9355.

Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Bread and Meat.
(T) Staff nutritionist Shymee
Davis reviews the ingredients,
vitamins, and minerals found in
a broccoli and chicken stir-fry
recipe. A kitchen can bring
neighbors together to learn about
nutrition and healthful cooking.

We DOUBLE your EBT,WIC
and Seniors Coupon dollars!!
(up to $15 per week, while funds last)
Yes we accept EBT or SNAP, from
DC, MD or any other state.

(B) Camille Gorham, a participant
in the Healthy Cooking class
at the Washington Seniors
Wellness Center, prepares
a broccoli and chicken stir-fry
made of easily sourced and
economical ingredients.

www.Ward8FarmersMarket.com
Have Questions? Want to be on our mailing list?
Contact us at ward8fm@gmail.com

Place oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Sauté the chicken,
onion, and salt and pepper for approximately five minutes or until cooked
through. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Remove the chicken
and onion and set aside, tented with aluminum foil to keep warm.
In the same pan add butter and sauté the mushrooms, broccoli, and
pepper slices over medium-high heat until broccoli is tender. Return the
chicken and onions to the pan, stir in the Asian sesame garlic sauce (or
your own marinade) and lemon juice; heat through and serve over hot rice.
If you’d like to substitute a sesame marinade for the Asian sesame garlic
sauce, combine ¼ cup each vegetable oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce with
2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger, and 1 clove
garlic minced. Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Annette Nielsen is a writer and a cook who has been engaged in food, farming,
and sustainability issues for over 15 years. A native of the Adirondacks and a
long-time resident of both New York City and DC, she lives in Southwest near
the waterfront with her husband and son. Follow her on twitter: @The_Kitchen_Cab; reach her by email: annette@hillrag.com. u
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 35

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

Growing Food and Community
Community Gardens Produce Food, Flowers, and Improved Communities
by Stephen Lilienthal
from Casey Trees, a nonprofit organization that
promotes planting trees in DC due to their beneficial environmental impact. (Chestnut is a board
member of Casey Trees.) Ron Rogers, newly elected board member of the GHA, is pleased to see
Glenncresters of all ages helping to plant trees and
hopes that the garden will encourage the young to
take greater pride in their community.

Mayfair Gardens

T

he thought of getting her hands dirty was
more appealing than expected for Randi
Robinson, a Dunbar High School junior
and resident of DC’s Glenncrest development in
SE. “I didn’t think I’d like it,” she explains, but she
finds herself becoming more interested in gardening. Why? “We’re giving back to the community,”
she explains while helping to plant a tree at the
Glenncrest Tree Planting Day held in mid-April.
The once vacant land owned by the DC Housing
Authority (DCHA) at 49th and Benning Road SE
had been drawing complaints at meetings of the
Glenncrest Homeowners Association (GHA).
On this sunny Saturday more than 60 residents
are helping to plant 19 trees, including 10 fruitbearing ones. A farmer’s market will be held regularly on the site. As the garden develops, the young
people will grow sunflower seeds to sell, learning
lessons in entrepreneurship.
Community gardens are becoming a greater
presence East of the River (EOTR). Michael
Toland from the nearby Benning Terrace Apartments (BTA) is helping out at the tree-planting.
Toland, who coaches the Benning Terrace Soldiers,
a Pop Warner football team, is involved with BTA’s
new garden. “We took some children to Lincoln
Heights to help with their planting too,” Toland
says. Also present today is Dennis Chestnut of
Groundwork Anacostia, who helped to get the
garden project off the ground thanks to a call from
Curtis Watkins of Make a Difference House.

litter. GA is not involved with every community
garden EOTR. But Chestnut recognizes the power of community gardens to fulfill Groundwork’s
mission of “changing places, changing lives.”
Other community garden projects that GA
aids include the Mayfair Community Gardens, located at the apartment complex by the Minnesota
Avenue Metro station; the Deanwood Learning
Garden by Sheriff Road and 48th St. NE; and the
People’s Cooperative Community Garden on Elvans Road SE.

Growing Civic Engagement

The gardens are putting once unused land to
productive use by growing fruits and vegetables,
which are particularly desirable EOTR with its
many food deserts. But there is another important
benefit. “The idea is to improve the life of the residents,” asserts Chestnut, by getting them engaged.
GA’s role in working with the residents whose
communities have gardens is not to micro-manage
their decision-making. The communities decide
what they want to plant, how they want their gardens to look, and what features they should have.
The residents do most of the gardening. Chestnut’s
skill is dealing with the Byzantine network of government and nonprofit agencies whose support is
essential to start and maintain community gardens.
Watkins, director of the National Homecomers
Academy, which operates the Make a Difference
House that serves Glenncrest’s young residents,
knew of the concern about the vacant lot on Benning Road. Chestnut was someone who could help
to deal with the DCHA, which owned the land.
Once DCHA gave permission for its use as a garden, Chestnut wrote a proposal seeking assistance

At Mayfair Mansions the community garden is
a half-acre site located toward the back of the complex by the community center. Thanks to Sonya
Hochevar, who was then the community partnerships coordinator for the management company
that administers Mayfair, things started to happen. “What people don’t understand is that there
is a lot of process between the hatching of an idea
and the actual garden,” explains Chestnut. “She
was an important link between the management
company, the resident council, and Groundwork to
make sure everything moved forward.” All kinds of
meetings had to occur, requirements had to be met,
and forms had to be filled out and submitted and
approved. One condition set by historical preservationists was to have the garden cordoned off by
a fence that matches the one surrounding Mayfair.
Thanks to a US Department of Agriculture grant
obtained through the University of the District of
Columbia, funding was obtained for the garden. The
garden started to operate in 2011. It consists of 17
beds for vegetables ranging from cucumbers to zucchini. Plans call for erecting hoop houses in the fall
so crops can continue to be grown during the colder
months. Fruit trees will also be planted.
One Sunday in early April, Chestnut is working at the Mayfair Mansions Community Garden
when Brenda Jacobs, a resident, strolls by. “I’m just
getting home from church,” she announces. Soon
she is telling Chestnut how last year their garden
grew everything from butternut lettuce and squash
to zucchini. Chestnut helped arrange for Healthy
Living, a nonprofit promoting healthier eathing,
to show residents how to prepare the garden’s produce. “I didn’t even know you could cook radishes,”
Jacobs says. Now she knows how sauteeing asparagus and radishes can turn vegetables whose taste
she disliked raw into appetizing fare.
But relationships are also cultivated. John
Pinkney of Public Allies, a public service organiza-

tion affiliated with Americoprs,
says one important benefit of
the community garden is that
“it provides Mayfair Mansions with an opportunity to
bridge the gap between the
ages.” When families come to
the center the children, parents,
and grandparents tend to pair
up with their peers. With the
garden families can do something “together.”
Jacobs agrees. “We do have
a good time in there,” she says,
referring to the garden. Before,
says Jacobs, a 16-year resident of
Mayfair Mansions, young children largely ignored the elderly
residents they did not know.
That has changed. Children are
more respectful of their elders.
“Once the little people see us in
the garden they want to come
and help us out,” she says. “Now,
they ask us when we are going
into the garden.” When children see the crops they learn
that they can grow plants such
as tomatoes in their own home
year round. It is one more way to
encourage them to eat healthier.
Not all of Mayfair Mansion’s older residents can work
in the garden. Jacobs makes
sure to pick fresh produce
on Tuesdays and Thursdays
before the Senior Cafe to
distribute to less active older
residents. Robert K. Johns, the
current community partnerships director, notes that many
older residents see the garden
as a reason to go outside and
work. “That contributes to
their health and wellness.”
Another benefit, stresses
Johns, is that the garden instills pride in the community.
“Now, when people come to
visit Mayfair, people say, “We
have the Mayfair Garden.”
Chestnut says the community gardens EOTR are producing much more than fruits and
vegetables. Seeds for better communities are being planted too.
Stephen Lilienthal is a freelance
writer who lives in Washington.
More information about the work of
Groundwork Anacostia can be found
at http://groundworkdc.org/. u

t’s no wonder that the District regularly
ranks among the top three healthiest cities in the country, according to Forbes,
the American College of Sports Medicine,
and Gallup. A cursory look at local gym prices
would suggest we spend enough for the designation. But not everyone in the District can
afford boutique studio memberships or pricey
gear, so here’s a guide to free fitness classes for
the rest of us. Classes are age 18 and up unless
otherwise noted, and you may need a library
card or proof of residence to take advantage of
the library offerings.
38 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

DCPL Petworth Yoga. Photo by
Gracy Obuchowicz. (Pictured, student)

Free Flow

The DC Public Library system has much more
to offer than just books, movies, and quirky printers – and free yoga is one example. Release the rigors of the work week at Dorothy I. Height/Benning Library (3935 Benning Rd. NE), Saturdays
at 10:00 a.m. Or sleep in and shoot for the Yoga
Activist-sponsored afternoon session at LamondRiggs Library (5401 South Dakota Ave. NE),
Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. Anacostia Neighborhood
Library (1800 Good Hope Rd. SE) has evening
practitioners covered on Thursdays at 7:00 p.m.
Capitol Hill Yoga (641 Pennsylvania Ave. SE)

offers free community classes on Sundays at 6:00
p.m. Usually it’s yoga, but you might catch a Pilates
session, depending on the instructor. Nonprofit
Yoga District (526 H St. NE, second floor) charges
on a sliding scale, so low-income yogis can practice
for free. An application is required; see yogadistrict.com for more details.
In Southwest, Westminster Presbyterian
Church (400 I St. SW) hosts a full evening of yoga
on Wellness Wednesdays. Flow in at 4:00 p.m. for
low-impact Seated Yoga; 5:30 p.m. for ab-engaging Laughter Yoga; and 6:45 p.m. for Sampoorna
Hatha Yoga. Donations are accepted.

Dance with the Stars

“No pain no gain” is a myth, quiet
as it’s kept. Meet new people and
learn some smooth moves with these
painless dance-fitness offerings. Stay
active with all the best line dances at
the Therapeutic Rec Center (3030
G St. SE), Tuesdays and Thursdays
at noon. Seniors can step into the
50-and-up class at Riggs LaSalle Rec
Center (501 Riggs Rd. NE), Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.
Get in touch with your DC
roots through hand dancing for ages
16 and older at Turkey Thicket Rec
Center (1100 Michigan Ave. NE),
Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 7:00
p.m. for beginners and 8:00 p.m. for

If DC’s social sports leagues were
less social, more sports, and 100 percent cheaper, they’d be these offerings. For more than just kicks Sherwood Rec Center (640 10th St. NE)
has pick-up soccer matches on Mondays at 6:30 p.m.
The Department of Parks
and Recreation starts its summer basketball league next month,
so there’s just enough time to

Softball leagues are also plentiful. The coed league plays at West
Potomac Park (on Fields 7 and 8
and near the Jefferson Monument)
and Randall Rec Center (820
South Capitol St. SW ). There’s
also a senior slow-pitch league,
which plays at Deanwood Rec
Center (1350 49th St. NE), Riggs
LaSalle Rec Center (501 Riggs Rd.
NE), and Ridge Road Rec Center
(800 Ridge Rd. SE). Contact the
DPR Sports Office at 202-6710314 for more information.

Adult Swim

The Water Wizards are DC’s
premier senior swim team, and the

Straight-Up Cardio

Sorry for the pun, but cardio really is the heart of any fitness regimen.
Keep your blood pumping with the
aerobics class at Joseph H. Cole Rec
Center (1299 Neal St. NE), Mondays
and Fridays at 7:00 p.m. King Greenleaf Rec Center (201 N St. SW) has
an all-levels strengthening and toning class on Mondays, Tuesdays, and
Thursdays at 6:00 p.m. Build discipline and kick butt in the beginner
karate class at Riggs LaSalle Rec
Center (501 Riggs Rd. NE), Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.
For a challenging workout the
intro class at District Crossfit (1525
Half St. SW) may be what the doctor

DC CrossFit. Photos by MJ LaPierre. (Pictured, gym members)

intermediate steppers. King Greenleaf Rec Center (201 N St. SW) has
an all-levels session too, Saturdays
from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Woodridge
Library (1801 Hamlin St. NE) has
a 50-and-up session on Fridays at
10:00 a.m.
If line and hand dancing are a
bit too smooth, sweat through the
Zumba classes at North Michigan
Park Rec Center (1333 Emerson
St. NE), Mondays at 1:00 p.m. or
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m.; Hillcrest

build an all-star 12-person roster.
Games are held at the Deanwood
Rec Center (1350 49th St. NE)
on Sundays and are governed by
NCAA rules. Also check out the
men’s pick-up games and leagues
at Riggs LaSalle Rec Center (501
Riggs Rd. NE), Wednesdays at
6:00 p.m., and Hillcrest Rec Center (3100 Denver St. SE) on Saturday afternoons. Contact the DPR
Adult Sports Manager at 202316-4249 for more information.

50-and-older team members swim
for fun, exercise, physical rehab, or
to test their fins against other local and national teams. Dive in at
William H. Rumsey Aquatic Center (635 North Carolina Ave. SE),
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:00
a.m.; Deanwood Aquatic Center
(1350 49th St. NE), Mondays and
Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m.; or Ferebee-Hope Aquatic Center (3999
8th St. SE), Tuesdays and Thursdays at 4:00 p.m.

ordered. Whip your body into shape
with their free intro class, Saturdays
at 1:00 p.m. Fitness boot camp at
Turkey Thicket Rec Center (1100
Michigan Ave. NE) is open to participants 16 and older and is sure to
bring on the soreness, Mondays and
Wednesdays at 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays at 8:00 a.m. Also at Turkey
Thicket participants 50 years and
older can enjoy a strength and toning
class on Wednesdays from 10:30 to
11:15 a.m. u

EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 39

EAST WASHINGTON LIFE

Anacostia’s First Consignment Shop Opens
by Charnice A. Milton

Located in the former Blank Space SE, The Last Shall Be First Consignment Boutique offers stylish and affordable
clothes. Photo: Charnice A. Milton

A

Sofine Williams, a native Washingtonian, opened The Last Shall Be First
Consignment Boutique on April 8. It is the first consignment shop located east
of the Anacostia River. Photo: Charnice A. Milton

s the youngest in her family, Sofine Williams says she was last at everything.
While her siblings are married with
children, she is still single. However, when she
opened The Last Shall Be First Consignment
Boutique in Ellicot City, Maryland, she became
the first in her family to own a business. A year
later Williams opened her second store in Historic Anacostia.

there were no consignment shops east of the Anacostia River when she was growing up. Shoppers
had to travel to Capitol Hill for such deals. “I believe that it’s time for us to have the same types
of opportunities as others,” says Williams. To serve
residents with smaller budgets The Last Shall Be
First offers one-, two-, and three-dollar deals every
day. The shop currently has only women’s clothing,
but starting on June 3 it will also offer men’s.

Beginnings

Doing Things Differently

When she decided to open a location in the
city, one of the places Williams looked at was
Blank Space SE on Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue. In March ARCH Development Corporation, which owns Blank Space, announced that the
creative rental space would move to the Anacostia
Arts Center. By the end of the month Williams
had signed a lease and transformed the almost
1,000 square-foot property into a fashion-forward
boutique.
Since opening on April 8 business has been
doing well, mostly due to word of mouth and
minimal advertising. “You don’t expect people to
accept you so quickly,” Williams says. “The business here has already exceeded the Ellicot store.”
People regularly come in and wish her good luck.

First of Its Kind

Williams, a native Washingtonian, noted that

40 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

“When I opened the shop, people asked, ‘Are
you sure?’” Williams recalls. Despite negative perceptions about the Anacostia area she has had few
problems with her customers. “In Chevy Chase,
there are no glass walls to keep people out,” she
said. “I didn’t want to do that and make people uncomfortable.” However, she does have a sign warning against stealing. “People actually respect the
sign,” Williams says.

The Community Store

Williams, who is also a minister, sees The Last
Shall Be First as an extension of her ministry. The
name was inspired by Matthew 20:16: “So the last
shall be first, and the first last: for many be called,
but few chosen.” “When God gave me the name
The Last Shall Be First, I was thinking about Anacostia,” she says. “I believe in bringing H.O.P.E. to
the community.” In this case, H.O.P.E. stands for

Helping Our People Evolve. Williams explains
that some people, especially those living east of
the Anacostia River, feel like they are shunned.
Therefore, she takes a community-driven approach to her work.
One of the ways Williams engages the community is through special sales. For instance, in June
the shop will begin Senior Saturdays every first and
third Saturday of the month, for older residents
who want to shop in peace. Another way is through
community programming. Through a partnership
with the Temple of Praise the shop will hold Summer Sessions every third Friday. Williams described
them as a time for teens and children to relax and
play games in a safe environment. She also plans
to hold Saturday flea markets and invites people to
bring things to sell free of charge.
Darlene Thomas, a friend and spiritual mentor, sums up the shop’s mission like this: “Since
The Last Shall Be First is from God, it puts
[Sofine] in a position to advance others. It’s not
just a consignment shop, it’s a safe haven for the
community.”
The Last Shall Be First Consignment
Boutique is located at 1922 Martin Luther
King, Jr., Ave. SE. Hours are Monday through
Wednesday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Thursday,
11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Friday, 11:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m. to7:00 p.m. For
more information call 202-294-2909 or email
Thelast_1st@yahoo.com. u

Heritage Trail
Coming to Anacostia
by John Muller

I

rative contained on each sign, local
historian Mara Cherkasky visited
public and private archives throughout the city including those at the
Anacostia Community Museum and
people’s living rooms.
“The community seems to be
really excited about the trail,” Cherkasky said. “People especially love to
see pictures of what their neighborhood used to look like, or see themselves, family, or friends on a sign, or
see familiar places that might be gone
or totally different now.”
The personal stories recounted
to Cherkasky and featured on the
Anacostia Heritage Trail signs reveal
two close-knit communities entirely
separate from each other, one white
and one black that co-existed until
the early 1960s. Both of these communities, white Anacostia and the
adjacent black communities in Hillsdale and Barry Farm, took pride in
their identity as an underdog; a feeling that remains.
Vividly bringing the past to life
are Reverend Oliver “OJ” Johnson,
a fixture in the community for more
than a half-century, who, as a student at Birney Elementary School,
watched the unveiling of the Big
Chair with his entire class in 1959,
members of the Bobolinks, who before their induction into the Vocal
Hall of Fame, harmonized outside
of a popular neighborhood deli, and
Nancy Ciatti, whose father Joseph
Puglisi ran a successful shoe repair

store before and after the 1968 riots.
One of the markers, planned for
installation outside of the Anacostia
Metro station on Howard Road SE,
will read, “World War I transformed
Anacostia. Just north of the [Firth
Sterling Steel] plant, the Navy Department built the riverside Anacostia Naval Air Station. The Army Signal Corps Air Service installed what
became Bolling Field and took over
the old Washington Steel property in
1935. When the Navy took over Bolling five years later, Anacostia became
a true Navy town.”
“’Poplar Point was all Navy barracks,’ remembered Johnson who
lived nearby as a child in the 1950s.
On their way to school, he and his
pals collected sailor caps presumably
dropped by inebriated sailors returning from nearby taverns to their barracks. Today, Johnson, who is retired,
is a frequent presence at all manner
of community meetings and wellrespected for his activism.
As Anacostia and its surrounding environs slowly revitalize and redevelop, Cultural Tourism DC’s “An
East-of-the-River View: Anacostia
Heritage Trail” preserves an ever important window to the past for current and future generations.
Once installed there will be a
community celebration to dedicate
the Anacostia Heritage Trail. For
more information on DC Neighborhood Heritage Trails visit www.culturaltourismdc.org. u

f all goes according to plan, with- Heritage Trails, installation fundin the next year Cultural Tourism ing also covered the cost of printing
DC will unveil its second DC 10,000 accompanying booklets to be
Neighborhood Heritage Trail east of distributed free in libraries, schools,
the river, joining the Deanwood Her- and community centers along the
itage Trail in Ward 7. Twenty distinc- route. Unfortunately for the Anacostive markers will delineate landmarks tia Heritage Trail, nearly $29,000 will
in and around Historic Anacostia have to be privately raised to do so.
and its nearby neighborhoods.
At the most recent public meetEarlier this spring proofs of the ing, Arrington Dixon, former City
illustrated and narrative signs were Council Chairman and President of
shown to community members the Anacostia Coordinating Counwhose donated photographs and cil, pledged to match up to $2,000.
shared family stories are captured For more information on the capital
alongside maps, photographs, paint- campaign, contact ACC01@aol.com.
ings, news clippings and ephemera
that document the area’s history over
the past two centuries. A diverse Researching the Anacostia
group of current and former residents Heritage Trail
unanimously offered their praise in
From the Baltimore & Ohio
looking over the poster-sized prints.
Railroad’s Alexandria Branch line
The signs, which mostly will be 7.5 passing through the neighborhood
feet tall by 2.5 feet wide or 6.75 feet in the 1800s to the streetcars of the
tall by 1.5 feet wide, will be installed Anacostia & Potomac River Railroad
on the neighborhood’s interior streets Company in the 1900s to the Metro’s
and denote sites throughout the com- Green Line of today, the Anacostia
mercial corridors of Martin Luther Heritage Trail tells a concise and long
King Jr. Avenue and Good Hope overlooked story of the development
Road. Anacostia Heritage Trail mark- of the city’s first suburb.
ers will point out St. Teresa of Avila
To gather both historic insights
Catholic Church at 12th & V Streets and personal perspective for the narand the Frederick Douglass National Historic
Site at 14th & W Streets,
as well as reveal hidden
locales such as John Wilkes Booth’s escape route
through the neighborhood and the former 11th
Precinct Police Station.
Funds for Cultural
Tourism DC to create
the markers originate
from the Federal Highways
Administration
and the District Department of Transportation.
DDOT manages the
installation, which is expected to begin later this The planned route of the Anacostia Heritage Trail.
Joe Puglisi inside his shoe repair store in Anacostia ‘The Sage of Anacostia’ trail marker
year. For the previous Photo by the author.
during the 1960s. Courtesy of Nancy Ciatti.

EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 41

KIDS & FAMILY

Kids & Family Notebook
by Kathleen Donner

Story Time at Anacostia Neighborhood Library

On Saturday, May 18, 10:30 a.m.-noon, come
to Anacostia Neighborhood Library for a wonderful Saturday morning program. Following the
reading of a book by a celebrity, each child creates
an artwork to take home. For kids from early childhood through 8 years with parents. Free; for more
information, call 202-633-4844. Anacostia Neighborhood Library, 1800 Good Hope Rd. SE.

Fort Dupont Ice Arena Summer Skating Camps

Fort Dupont Ice Arena offers several opportunities to keep cool in the summer. The Summer
Skating School includes daily off-ice fitness classes,
group skating lessons, and supervised practice-July
8-12 and July 29-Aug 2; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It is for ages
entering 2nd through 7th grade in the fall of 2013
and for skating levels Beginners through USFS
Basic Skills 5. The Figure Skating Camp includes

daily on-and off-ice classes taught by highly-qualified coaches. Classes will focus on jumps, spins,
MIF, dance, synchronized skating, artistry and
choreography-July 8-12; 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. It is for
ages entering 2nd through 12th grade in the fall of
2013 and for Skating Level: Best for USFS Basic
6-8/Pre-Preliminary through Novice Moves in the
Field or equivalent. First Annual Teen Camp for
Girls includes daily off-ice fitness classes, group

Children enjoying great weather and having fun at last year’s “Bringing It All Together Day” Health Fair. Photos: Elva Anderson

Children’s National Medical Center’s 11th Annual “Bringing It All Together Day”
“Bringing It All Together Day” is on May 31, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Children’s Health Center, 2501 Good Hope Rd. SE. This free event
includes Children’s National Generations Program, Children’s Law Center’s Healthy Together, WIC, IMPACT DC; and other local
programs. Free pizza, organic apples, music, and fun. For more information, call Elva Anderson at 202-476-6944.
42 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

skating lessons, and supervised
practice-July 29-Aug 2, 9-5
p.m. It is for ages entering 8th
grade through 12th grade in
the fall of 2013 and for Skating
Level: Beginners through Basic
Skills 5.
Registration forms are now
being accepted. Camp registration deadlines are Friday, June
21, for camps staring on July 9th
abd Friday, July 19 for camps
starting on July 29. Camp registration will be closed once all
spots are filled. Register early!
A limited number of need
based scholarships are available.
Please contact lmoreno@fdia.
org for application. fdia.org

HIV screening from Metro
TeenAids at Anacostia Library

On May 14 and June 11,
4 p.m., in the relaxed environment of your library, Metro
TeenAIDS will offer free, confidential HIV testing to teens
and adults, ages 13-24 (though
no one will be turned away). The
test, held in Meeting Room 2,
is very short and can save your
life. Representatives will also be
on hand to share vital information about how to live a healthy
life. For more information,
call 202-715-7708. Anacostia
Neighborhood Library, 1800
Good Hope Rd. SE. dclibrary.
org/anacostia

Kids’ Book Club:
“The Watsons Go to
Birmingham - 1963”

DC Public Library has
partnered with the Humanities
Council of Washington, D.C.
to present the Live to Read program at the Dorothy I. Height/
Benning Neighborhood Library. They will read excerpts
from the book, The Watsons
Go to Birmingham - 1963 and
discuss how this book relates
to the way we live today. The
event is on May 14, 6:30 p.m.,
at Dorothy I. Height/Benning
Library, 3935 Benning Rd. NE.
202-715-7707 for move information. dclibrary.org/benning
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 43

KIDS & FAMILY

Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color Scavenger Hunt

Thomas Day cradle. Photo: Courtesy of Smithsonian American Art Museum

Reﬂecting on 1963 Through Literature!

Live to Read is the Humanities Council’s twoweek celebration of literature and city-wide read
in DC.The program encourages Washingtonians,
young and old to read the selected book and discuss its themes and meanings. This year’s Live to
Read features two texts, “Bombingham” by Anthony Grooms, and “The Watsons Go to Birmingham
- 1963” by Christopher Paul Curtis. These texts
were chosen to commemorate the 50th anniversary of a climactic series of events that transformed
the America’s Civil Rights Movement both in
Birmingham, Alabama and Washington, DC. The
struggles of the deep south were directly related
to the purpose and the message of the March on
Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and these two
riveting novels help make vital connections between the two. wdchumanities.org

City-Wide Youth Synthetic Marijuana
Awareness Campaign

The use of synthetic marijuana, especially
among young people, is becoming an increasingly
serious issue. Further, these synthetic drugs, such
as fake weed or K2/Spice, are marketed directly to
youth and may be purchased in a local convenience
store as potpourri or incense. The D.C. Prevention
Center reports that fake weed use among youth
has increased significantly since 2008. The average age of a fake weed user in DC is 13½ years
old. On May 2, the DC Department of Health
launched the first city-wide youth synthetic marijuana awareness campaign to educate youth about
the dangers of the drug.

Thomas Day: Master Craftsman and Free Man of Color fully examines the
extraordinary career of Thomas Day (1801–about 1861), who owned and operated
one of North Carolina’s most successful cabinet shops before the Civil War. His
surviving furniture and architectural woodwork still represent the finest of nineteenth-century craftsmanship and aesthetics. The late Patricia Phillips Marshall,
who organized the exhibition at the North Carolina Museum of History where
she was a curator, has called Day one of the fathers of the North Carolina furniture industry. A themed scavenger hunt for children and families, “Day’s Way,” is
available daily at the Information Desk during the run of the exhibition-through
July 28. Renwick Gallery, Pennsylvania Ave. at 17th St. NW. americanart.si.eduof
events that transformed the America’s Civil Rights Movement both in Birmingham, Alabama and Washington, DC. The struggles of the deep south were directly
related to the purpose and the message of the March on Washington for Jobs and
Freedom, and these two riveting novels help make vital connections between the
two. wdchumanities.org

and provide details about DCPS’ Fiscal Year 2014
budget proposal and plans for the upcoming school
year. The Facts and Figures Budget Guide includes
information about the investments DCPS will
make to spur student achievement as well as information about spending in each office. The budget
for the 2013-2014 school year includes investments in three key areas: recruiting, retaining and
rewarding highly effective educators and school
leaders, providing rigorous instruction with a focus on literacy, and ensuring our schools motivate
student and engage families. To read the guide, go
to dcps.dc.gov.

Expressions 2013: The Corcoran’s Annual
ArtReach Exhibition

On Wednesday, May 22, 5-7 p.m., Expressions
2013 celebrates and exhibits artwork created by
students participating in ArtReach in school and
after school. Join in for live performances, refreshments, and the unveiling of the Corcoran Community Portrait Exchange. ArtReach extends the
resources of the Corcoran Gallery of Art into
schools and community centers in Washington,
D.C., through free in-depth arts programs. Using the Gallery’s collection as a primary resource,
ArtReach fosters visual literacy, critical thinking
skills, and creative expression while encouraging
young people to develop meaningful connections
between art and their lives. Free and open to the
public. For more information and to find out how
you can support ArtReach, please visit corcoran.
org/artreach. The Corcoran Gallery of Art, 500
17th St. NW.

District of Columbia Public Schools has issued a Facts and Figures Budget Guide to explain
44 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

Youth for Understanding (YFU) is one of the
world’s largest and most respected international

exchange programs. A YFU exchange student
becomes a member of your family, participates in
family activities, shares in home responsibilities,
and provides your family with an international
friendship that can last a lifetime. YFU international exchange students are carefully-selected,
chosen based on their academic excellence and
teacher recommendations. They have studied English and many have even received scholarships.
Your international son or daughter will be between
15-18 years of age and will come from one of over
60 countries that partner with YFU. If you are interested in inviting another part of the world into
your home, contact Tchi Sogoyou at 240-235-2102
ext 2507 or tsogoyou@.yfu.org. For more informatian visit yfuusa.org. Check out some student profiles at yfusoutheastdistrict.wordpress.com.

DCPS Restructures Athletic Conference

District of Columbia Public Schools will realign its athletic conference within the District
of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association
(DCIAA) to create and cultivate a more competitive and exciting conference. The updates will also
create long-awaited parity within the DCIAA. The
changes will go into effect for the 2013-2014 school
year. Twelve athletic directors, coaches and athletic
office personnel worked together, along with consultation and leadership from Mayor Vincent C.
Gray and DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson, to
create the new structure within the DCIAA.
The biggest change will be in football with
the creation of two new subdivisions. With names
created from the Washington, DC flag, the Stars
Division will include Anacostia, Ballou, Coolidge,
Dunbar, HD Woodson, and Wilson High Schools.
The Stripes Division will include Bell, Cardozo,
Eastern, Phelps, McKinley Tech and Roosevelt
High Schools. Under the new format, both divi-

NOT SURE HOW TO
BEGIN PLANNING OR
PAYING FOR COLLEGE?
sions will compete for a championship. The
Stars Division will compete in the annual
Safeway Turkey Bowl, and the Stripes Division will compete in an inaugural football
championship on November 23, 2013. Winners of the Stripes Division will have the opportunity to petition to move up to the Stars
Division. All other sports will not have divisions. They will compete as one league playing all other DCIAA teams at least once.

‘Songs for Junior Rangers’
is a Hit with Kids

The National Park Service CD “Songs
for Junior Rangers” has children across the
country doing the limbo, acting like bison,
laughing, singing, and pretending to be in a
cave. The CD’s 20 fun tracks include “Wapiti Hoppity” about elk, “Spelunka Funka”
about caving, “Frozen Bulldozin” about glaciers and “Four Presidents” about Mount
Rushmore National Memorial. The Parents’
Choice Foundation, the nation’s oldest nonprofit guide to quality children’s media and
toys, recently gave “Songs for Junior Rangers” its Parents’ Choice Gold Award. The
album features park ranger musicians from
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park
and Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument as well as Navajo singer/songwriter
Krishel Augustine and youth ambassadors
from New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. The a cappella group Committed, the children’s group Trout Fishing in
America, and PBS personality Aaron Nigel Smith also appear on the album. Visit
the album’s website at nps.gov/flfo/forkids/
junior-ranger-music.htm for free downloads
and purchasing information.

Orangutan Day at the Zoo

This family-friendly event offers educational and fun activities for children, keeper talks and animal demonstrations. This
Mothers Day learn about Orangutan family
dynamics, Zoo animal care and the fascinating cognitive studies being undertaken by
National Zoo researchers. This event is on
Sunday, May 12, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the National Zoo. nationalzoo.si.edu

Lunch Tote Giveaway at Nationals Game

At the Saturday, May 25 Nationals vs.
Phillies game, the first 15,000 attendees will
receive a free Nat’s Lunch tote. The game is
at 7:15 p.m. washington.nationals.mlb.com

Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Field Dedicated

Mayor Gray, along with DPR Director Jesús Aguirre, Councilmember Tommy Wells, Washington Nationals officials,
Rosedale community leaders and baseball
fans, attended the field dedication ceremony for Mamie “Peanut” Johnson at the
Rosedale Recreation Center, 1701 Gales St.
NE. Johnson was the first woman pitcher
to play in men’s professional baseball, and
only one of three women to play professionally in the Negro Baseball League.
The Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Field
at the Rosedale Community Center is
the first field in the District of Columbia
named in honor of a woman. Johnson, who
was born in Ridgeway, South Carolina, was
“discovered” at the age of 19 playing sandlot baseball on the Rosedale playground.
Johnson played two years for the Negro
Baseball League’s Indianapolis Clowns,
alongside baseball greats Satchel Paige and
Hank Aaron. She ended her career with
a 38-6 lifetime record and was known as
“Peanut” due to her height of 5’ 3”. Johnson
has been working with District youth at
Rosedale for some time and will work with
DPR in programming activities on the
field. The District renovated and reopened
the community center in May of 2012. Its
amenities include adult and kiddie pools,
athletic field and multi-use recreation center. The Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Field has
a synthetic surface.

The College Information Center Can Help!
Educational Advisers can help you research undergraduate and
graduate programs, help complete college admission applications,
and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) application. Learn more by visiting in-person,
online at reach4success.org or calling (202) 442-8398.

Esther Novis, a mother of five and a
former Harvard-trained biologist, started
The Young Scientists Club as a summer
science camp for her then 5-year-old son.
Friends from other parts of the country told Novis they wanted to duplicate
her concept and the idea for a science
subscription service was born! The subscription kits are now mailed monthly to
thousands of children around the world
and the company’s retail kits are sold
in hundreds of specialty stores. In addition to developing new products for The
Young Scientists Club, this wise mom
has many years of experience teaching at
Phillips Academy, Andover and has written the science column for Parents Magazine plus wrote science experiments for
the new science curriculum by McGrawHill Publishing. Read more at theyoungscientistsclub.com. ◆
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 45

KIDS & FAMILY

DC’s Young Mandarins

Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School Students Learn
Their Lessons in Chinese and English
by Stephen Lilienthal

K

ids used to dream about digging
their way to China. Now DC
kids can discover China’s culture,
language, and much more without picking up a trowel or even leaving the city.
Washington Yu Ying Public Charter
School (WYY), in its fifth year of operating, combines an immersion program
in Chinese with an International Baccalaureate education.
A dreary Monday morning in February dampens neither the spirits of the
young students nor the faculty at WYY,
which is located in northeast DC’s
Brookland neighborhood. Today, a second grade student “team” might hear its
science lesson taught in Mandarin. Tomorrow, the lesson continues in English.
The Asia Society’s booklet on
Chinese Language Learning in the
Early Grades, which examines best
practices in Mandarin immersion
programs, states that WYY’s “teaching all subjects in both English and
Chinese has been rewarding for
Yu Ying’s students. Students have gone
from not speaking or reading any Chinese to being able to use Chinese” in
reading, writing, and speaking.

Students and teacher in class at Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School.

Immersion Benefits

Learning Together At The
Right Time

Staci Mason’s daughter has been attending WYY since 2009 when she entered pre-K. Mason, a Ward 7 resident,
wanted her daughter to attend WYY
because she believes in offering foreign
language programs for students at early ages. Mason studied French in high school and college, and
knows that learning Chinese, or any language, is
more difficult for adults than for children.
Standards adhered to by the US military’s De46 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

of the Romance languages -- Spanish,
French, and Italian -- classified as “Category I,” can be learned in 26 weeks.
Ms. Mason’s daughter thrives on
learning Chinese, despite it being a more
difficult language to master, particularly
the written characters. But mastery takes
work, so right after her daughter’s daily
violin practice, Mason works with her
on Chinese pronunciation. “We have a
routine,” she says. They practice pronunciation, finding resources on the WYY
portal that allow her to hear the words
on audio books.
When she and her daughter visited
a Chinese restaurant during the Chinese
New Year, the owner, a native of China,
told Ms. Mason how impressed he was
with her daughter’s tone in speaking
Chinese and her ability to write Chinese
characters in proper stroke order. Of
course, learning Chinese becomes more
challenging as a child becomes older and
starts learning more complex course material. So Mason choose the right time
to put her young daughter in a foreign
language immersion program.

fense Language Institute classify Mandarin as a
“Category IV Language” along with Arabic, Korean, Japanese, and Pashto. They’re the most exacting major languages to learn. Typically, American
adults would need 64 weeks to achieve a functional
command of Mandarin. Functional command

Young minds are better able to deal
with the ambiguity of learning a language according to Paul Sandrock, Director of Education at the American
Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages (ACTFL), “They learn experientially, through trial and error, taking
risks. There’s more to learning a language
than just vocabulary,” he explains.
In Mr. Sandrock’s view, the benefits of learning a language early can extend to being better able
to mimic the grammatical patterns and accents of
a native speaker. Young minds can better absorb

and imitate the patterns of the foreign language. When the language
is taught as part of regular subject
content such as science or social
studies, that can further the advantages.
Furthermore, research studied
by ACTFL, demonstrates that the
achievement gap -- whether based
on gender, race, or class -- narrows
considerably when students are immersed in the study of a foreign language at early ages. One 1987 study
of an immersion program in French
cited on the ACTFL webpage discovered that “socioeconomically
underprivileged students (both
Black and White) benefited from
an immersion-type introduction to
a foreign language as much as students from middle class homes did.”

Benefits of Learning Chinese

Chris Livaccari, director of
education and Chinese Language
Initiatives for the Asia Society, says
many people perceive the benefits
of learning Chinese based on China’s anticipated economic power. A
blog post, “Learning Chinese Pays
Dividends: Of Characters And
Cognition” written by Livaccari and
Yi Zheng, admit that the evidence
about how learning Chinese can
aid one’s cognitive ability is “not
yet conclusive or comprehensive”
but the indication is that learning
Chinese tones and written characters can yield “dividends -- not just
for one’s bank account, but also for
one’s brain.”
Because Mandarin Chinese is
very different than English both
in the tone of the spoken language
and the non-alphabetic nature of
its written language, learning Chinese taps into cognitive abilities
native English speakers would not
use otherwise.
Livaccari and Zheng cite several
studies emphasizing the benefits of
knowing Chinese, two of which indicate that it can help mathematical
abilities, which are “embedded in
character writing because it involves
skills such as counting, grouping,
ordering, and identifying similarities and differences.”

Yu Ying’s Program

WYY’s top Tier 1 ranking from

the DC Public Charter School
Board, reflects positively on its academic program and school climate.
Students are not just learning Chinese, but participating in a rigorous
academic curriculum aligned with
the International Bacculaureate
program (IB), which encourages
students to be inquiry-oriented, and
to develop critical thinking and creative problem solving skills as well
as to develop character traits such as
honesty and fairness.
“IB is just as important as Chinese” to WYY’s mission, stresses
executive director Mary Shaffner,
a co-founder of WYY. “The IB
framework deeply engages students in learning” through their
own research.
WYY’s kindergarten students
will learn about journeys, including
maps (geography), why people migrate (social sciences), and airplanes
(science). Kindergarteners will plan
their own trip in DC using maps
and the Metro system.
The fifth grade class will participate in a two week trip to China this
spring; activities include a stay in a
Chinese home, trips to elementary
schools and cultural institutions.
WYY offers an extensive afterschool program, conducted in both
English and Chinese, and parents
are asked to support their children’s
Chinese studies outside of school,
attending Chinese cultural events
and even learning basic Chinese.
Sending a child to WYY “definitely requires a little bit more from
a parent,” asserts Shaffner.
Now, the diverse school (nearly
half its students are African American, Asians represent 18%) is planning on expansion. The DC Public
Charter School Board voted last
year to allow WYY to develop a
middle/high school. WYY plans
on teaming up with several other
bilinqual charter schools, Elsie
Whitlow Stokes (French/Spanish),
Latin American Montessori (Spanish), and Mundo Verde (Spanish),
to create the District of Columbia
International School.
For more information on
Washington Yu Ying, go to www.
washingtonyuying.org

OPEN

ENROLLMENT
ABOUT US:
•

Founded in the fall of 1999

•

Accredited by Middle States Association
of Colleges and Schools

•

Pre-school – 5th Grade

•

Independently run with a strong Board of Trustees

•

Challenging Curriculum

•

Exciting Creative Arts and Technology Program

•

Positive school culture

•

Open to all DC Residents

for School Year
2013-2014 in Grades
Pre-school through
5th grade
(All DC Residents
welcome to apply).

5300 Blaine Street, NE
Washington, DC 20019
202-398-6811

Please visit us at
www.artstechacademy.org

Stephen Lilienthal is a freelance writer living in Washington, DC. ◆
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 47

KIDS & FAMILY

School Notes
compiled by Melissa Ashabranner

Anne Beers Elementary School News
An Early Start is the Best Start

Students at Neval Thomas Elementary are working with the Kennedy Center on a performance of The Tuskegee Airmen: Aim High.

Lights, Camera, Action! at Thomas Elementary

The 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classes of Neval
Thomas Elementary are working with the Kennedy Center’s Washington National Opera Partnership to develop their very own opera performance
of The Tuskegee Airmen: Aim High. Last year, the
students put on a 20-minute presentation including dramatic original writings presented by 12
students, embedded with original music (written
by Mr. Lewis with students), and a full cast that
included movement and prop artisans, and this
year they are working to make their production
even more spectacular. Since February, the students
have been fully engaged in every aspect of executing a play… from designing costumes and creating
props, to writing the dialogue and songs, and creating the music with instruments. Even the stage
managers and crew members will be comprised of
students... calling cues, controlling lighting, and
48 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

setting the stage between scenes. This is truly a student production!
The kids are truly excited about the opportunity and elated to have such phenomenal support. The students of Neval Thomas gives a huge
thanks to the Kennedy Center and their staff, especially, Dr. White, the Drama teacher; Carroll
Foster, the Visual Arts teacher; Nikia Glass, the
Music teacher, and to Neval’s very own, Principal
Barnes, Ms. Thompson, Mr. Lewis, Ms. Reid, Ms.
Hayes, Ms. Neely and Ms. Blackwell for making
all of this happen!
If you are interesting in supporting the students during the upcoming showcase, come see
the magic happen at Neval Thomas ES, May 16th,
2013 at 2:00 pm and May 22, 2013 at 4:00pm.
See you there!
For more information contact the music
teacher, Mr. Lewis, at 202.724.4593.

It is widely known and accepted that the earlier
you can introduce a child to the learning environment the better the child will do in his or her education. However, many children start school not
ready to learn not because they do not know their
letters or numbers but because they lack one critical ability: the ability to regulate their social, emotional, and cognitive behaviors. Current research
shows that self-regulation has a stronger association with academic achievement than IQ or entrylevel reading or math skills (www.toolsofthemind.
com). As Anne Beers ES Early Childhood Education PS/PK Chair, Ms. Dana Cox helps implement
“The Tools of the Mind Curriculum” to help our
children take their first, and most important step,
in education.
Anne Beers was one of the first schools to integrate Tools of the Mind into the classroom, with
a focus on communication by teaching children to
put their words to feelings. Ms. Goldstein, teacher
of our mixed-age class, knows the curriculum is
helping. Her class fosters responsibility by teaching
manners and social skills: older children teach the
younger children, helping them to become more
independent throughout the year. In Ms. Jackson’s
class (pre-K3), our children re-create their community, stores, and restaurants, etc. The students learn
how to communicate and regulate themselves in
these environments. Ms. Jackson’s class then takes
trips to some of these places so that they can practice what they have learned.
By the time that most of our children at Beers
make the transition to kindergarten they will have
already been in a learning environment for two
years. Our kindergarten teachers Ms. Dunne and
Ms. Mourning can continue with a more vigorous
lesson plan still based on the Tools of the Mind
curriculum, now with a focus on writing and teach-

Mother Earth
As a guardian of Mother Earth
Try to protect the land as your own turf
Dubbed the Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
An expanse beyond Asia to all souls on all soil
Today, people water plants, cut grass,
and prune trees
Sometimes for pure recreation, sometimes
for small fees

Students at Anne Beers learn to regulate
their behavior in Pre-K making them
ready to learn in Kindergarten.

ing reading through writing. The curriculum has
the kindergartener writing three times a day,
making our reading instructions easier. Our children are now on the level that allows them to
monitor themselves, teaches them to be persistent and to work through challenges, and supports the child’s academic growth.
As the parents in and out of our boundary
have heard about our program, you can see why
Beers ES has a waiting list. Traditionally, children started school in kindergarten, and spent
that school year getting accustomed to taking
instructions all day. At Beers, our Early Childhood Education has taken care of that problem.
By kindergarten most of our children are fully
functional students. This has led to fewer behavioral problems, better reading, writing, and
mathematical abilities, and better social skills.
Simply put, having your children start their education in our school is the best start that they can
have. To learn more about our Early Childhood
Education program contact us at 202-939-4800,
ptabeers@yahoo.com , or follow us on Twitter @
ABeersPTA. Carlos Herndon, Dana Cox.

In early April, Leckie students colored visual
images of the planet, and had special environmental tips posted at the bottom of each picture.
All pictures were displayed in the school’s foyer
where parents and visitors could also appreciate
the students’ art work.
On several Thursdays, throughout the
month of April, twenty student ambassadors
of the school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention Supports Team (PBIS), under the leadership of its sponsor and the PBIS Coordinator,
Mr. White, met and strategized about ways the
school could celebrate Earth Day. The ideas that
grew out of these summit meetings were enacted
for the entire school to enjoy. Some of the activities included placing large balloons along the
school’s fence and throughout the school’s courtyard. Studetns talked about ways to conserve
energy, to keep the air and water clean, and to
beautify the school grounds and the immediate
neighborhoods.
On April 26th Leckie Elementary along
with City Year worked with students to celebrate
both Earth Day and Global Youth Service Day.
The City Year team put together a day of ser-

A protected earth needs reform; it needs you
Everyone must be committed, tried and true
Love the rain
Embrace the mud
Adore the earth
Hear echoes of environmental tips
as a clarion call
From your homes, your schools,
and your local mall
Pick up after yourself – Don’t litter
Turn off lights when not needed
Recycle when possible
Take time to celebrate Earth Day
In the fresh air with teasing winds, run
Over the small and muddy puddles, jump
Under the bright, beautiful and
blazing sun, play
Take pause to celebrate our planet, today.
While we can, no other creatures in
the universe may.
By Phillip White III. Tara M. Benn,
Matt Zittle, Contributors

Leckie Ementary School joined throngs of others around the world in the observance of Earth Day, on April 22, 2013.

Leckie Elementary School
Celebrates Earth Day

Leckie Elementary School joined throngs
of others - over a half-billion people - around
the world in the observance of Earth Day, on
April 22, 2013. The purpose of Earth Day is to
cultivate awareness and an appreciation for the
Earth’s environment.
EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 49

On the 12th Annual Comcast Service Day, Comcast Cares Day volunteers painted murals, constructed benches, and cleaned up the grounds of Ceasar Chavez and Neval Thomas Elementary.

vice that involved learning about
the environment, becoming a positive member of the community, and
actually doing physical service at
the school. Seventy students participated, learning about the environment and their community.
They planted flower beds, making
“seed bombs” which they could use
to spread in areas that were in need
of plant life, painted positive messages on canvases, painting reusable
grocery bags, and played games that
spawned a better understanding of
the environment and community
service. Leckie Elementary received
a small makeover, and the students,
who worked so hard within the confines of its walls, were the primary
contributors.
On April 30, two members
of the PBIS student ambassador
corps, Mark Curry and Zavion Randall, read a poem entitled “Mother
Earth,” during the school’s Student
of the Month program assembly.
The poem was the result of student
ideas shared during one of the earlier
Thursday summit meetings, and was
edited by Mr. White. The poem is
included in this article for our community friends. Happy Earth Day!

If you were in the Mayfair/
Parkside community and drove by
Neval Thomas and Cesar Chavez
50 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

schools on Saturday, April 27, for
Comcast Cares Day, you would
have seen dozens of hard-working
volunteers wearing green tee shirts
and smiles. Employees from Comcast/NBC Universal, City Year
corps members, and community
members descended on the schools
on the largest service day around
the country. Comcast Cares Day
has the support of 70,000 volunteers worldwide engaging in
over 400 projects across the nation. In the spirit of the 12th Annual Comcast Service Day, Mayor
Gray issued a proclamation declaring April 27 Comcast Cares Day
in DC. Comcast/NBC Universal
supports City Year teams around
the US including DC, Jacksonville,
Philadelphia, Boston, and even as
far as London.
Volunteers painted murals,
constructed benches, and cleaned
up the grounds of both schools. As
if the transformation of the physical spaces were not spectacular
enough, Comcast/ NBC Universal
Executive Vice President, David A.
Cohen presented a $12,500 check
to each school. In addition, Jeff
Franco, executive director of City
Year DC, announced that beginning next school year, both schools
would benefit from the presence
of a City Year team to address the
drop-out early warning indicators
or the ABCs: attendance monitoring and student engagement,
behavioral support and developmental progress, and course performance in math and English.
All and all, it was a great day
for two schools in Mayfair/Parkside DC. ◆

CHANGING HANDS
Changing hands is a list of most residential sales in the District of Columbia from the previous month.
A feature of every issue, this list, based on the MRIS, is provided courtesy of Don Denton, manager of the
Coldwell Banker office on Capitol Hill. The list includes address, sales price and number of bedrooms.

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EAST OF THE RIVER MAGAZINE | MAY 2013 H 53

THE NOSE

How Many Lives Does One Pat Have?
by Anonymous

No more endless forums! No more tongue-tied kooks. No more moderator dirty looks! Finally, Dear Readers, The District’s latest gladiatorial contest
has ended.
It was, according to some political pundits, to be the year of the perfect
Republican storm. Yes, finally all the stars in the firmament had aligned.
Progressives, unable to do simple arithmetic, were running multiple candidates. Michael “The Real” Brown and Anita “Chocolate City Mamma” Bonds
looked to split the city’s eastern wards. Most importantly, in Patrick “Third
Time’s The Charm,” Mara, Republicans thought that they had found a socially
liberal, fiscally conservative candidate acceptable to the electorate.
What went wrong?
To begin with, Brown exited the race permitting Bonds to campaign on
her appearance and Democratic affiliation. Tipping her hand with a gaffe on
Kojo, she deftly worked at turning out her base in the city’s eastern wards,
ignoring Upper, Lower and Outer Caucasia completely. At the end, Bonds
absented herself from the forums entirely. Instead, she worked hard in the
Wilson Building to earn the endorsements of her colleagues receiving nods
from Vincent “CBE” Orange, Jack “Undersight” Evans, Muriel “Girl on Fire”
Bowser, Yvette “Miss Congeniality” Alexander, Marion “Mayor for Life” Barry, and Kenyan “Newbie” McDuffie.
The media, by and large, gave Bonds a pass. There was little or no discussion of her paltry legislative record. Her budget busting plan to exempt senior
seniors from taxes was met with silence. No one examined her lobbying activities at Fort Myers Construction, a major city contractor. The narrowness of
her campaign received little editorial notice. While none of this might have
dissuaded her base, these issues were certainly relevant to her candidacy.
Only 9.3% of voters turned out for the 2013 Special Election. Bonds won
with a margin of 2,314 votes out of a total of 49,869--a razor thin margin of
victory that was just 4.6 percent of those who voted. The media allowed Bonds
to ‘ghost’ her way through the campaign winning with 3 percent of entire
District electorate.
Shame on our vanishing profession!
Bonds would be wise to take up the mantel of the sainted David A.
Clarke, a former occupant of her seat. Clarke, famous for his bicycle-seated
campaigning, was intimately acquainted with the byways of all eight wards.
At a time when the chocolate was truly the city’s sweet, he ignored no one
and asked everyone for their vote. She will have an opportunity next year to
do the same.
While Bonds quietly took care of business, the media focused its attention
on Mara. Endorsed ad nauseam by the Washington ComPost, beloved by the
DC Chamber of Commerce, they portrayed him as likely, in his own words, to
unite “the reform vote,” a supposed coalition of Independent and Democratic
voters determined to throw out incumbents.
54 H EASTOFTHERIVERDCNEWS.COM

The “reform vote’ seems to have been a figment of Mara’s imagination. Despite very little media attention to issues, District voters recognized that real
policy differences existed between Mara and his Democratic opponents such as
Elissa “Take No Corporate Handouts” Silverman and Matthew “The Man from
Upper Caucasia” Frumin.
When ComPost reporters unearthed a dodgy consulting contract late in the
race, Mara lost his ethical cloak; and momentum swung behind Silverman. Yet,
her candidacy was doomed by a divided progressive vote and large margins for
Bonds in Wards 7 and 8.
The rest, as they say, is history.
So, here for your edification, Dear Readers, is a rendition of “The Cat Came
Back,” liberally altered to fit the District’s unique political ecology:
The business community hated paying employees when sick.
Carol Schwartz’s support of sick-leave really got them ticked
So, they handpicked the Pat while the incumbent was asleep
Piling on independent expenditures in a massive heap.
That ol’ race burst apart and the Pat lost in a mudslide.
With his ears chewed off by the Browns and holes in his hide...
But the Pat came back
The next election that old Pat came back.
Thought he was a goner, but the Pat came back.
`Cause he just couldn’t stay away.
DC Democratic pols had troubles of their own.
And that pesky ‘moderate’ Republican refused to stay home.
Tried everything they knew to do to keep the Pat away.
Sent him up to Board of Education and told him to stay...
But the Pat came back.
The next election that old Pat came back.
Thought he was a goner, but the Pat came back.
`Cause he just couldn’t stay away.
On the dais, councilmembers were sitting in a bunch.
The Pat saw Miss Anita, thought he’d have her for his lunch.
Climbed softly up the polls until he reached the top
When an old consulting contract, tied him in a knot...
Will the Pat be back?
In 2014 will that old Pat be back?
Even the Republicans think the Pat is a goner, but will the Pat be back?
`Cause he just can’t ever stay away.
How many lives does one Pat have?
Irritated by The Nose? Let him know! Email thenose@hillrag.com. u